The CultCast
This week: Apple plans new, improved AirPods, HomePod and over-ear headphones; Apple finally acknowledges its new MacBook keyboards suck, and they’re going to make it right; a top Apple analyst drops a bunch of details on Apple’s 2018 product pipeline; and Apple is tries to solve a fascinating issue with autonomous vehicles.
 
This episode supported by
 
Easily create a website by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.
 
Print postage from your office and take advantage of special shipping discounts at pb.com/cultcast, and beat the postage rate increase with exclusive discounts on letters.  Plans start at just $5 a month!
 
CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co.
 
Thanks to Kevin McLeodfor the music you hear on today’s episode.
 
On the show this week
 
Apple finally acknowledges its new MacBook keyboards suck
  • The butterfly keyboards on the new MacBook and MacBook Pro are officially defective.
  • After months of outcry from angry customers, Apple has finally acknowledged that the new keyboards have some serious problems. The company says the issues are limited to a small percentage of MacBooks, but its offering free repairs.
 
Apple plans new, improved AirPods, HomePod and over-ear headphones
  • Bloomberg has a new report out that says we could have some exciting new Apple audio products in 2019.
 
Top Apple analyst drops a ton of details on Apple’s 2018 product pipeline
  • First: Ming still expects three new iPhones in 2018: a second-generation iPhone X, a massive 6.5-inch version dubbed the iPhone X Plus, and a 6.1-inch version that will essentially be a budget iPhone X.
 
Apple is trying to solve a very interest problem with autonomous vehicles, and they’ve hired a fascinating guy to help solve it.
Engineer and YouTuber Mark Rober Working on Anti-Motion Sickness VR Technology for Use in Autonomous Vehicles
  • Engineer and popular YouTuber Mark Rober is, accordingly Variety, working for Apple as an engineer in their special projects group.
  • More specifically, Rober has been working on Apple's virtual reality projects, including "using VR as on-board entertainment for self-driving cars.”
  • His most recent patent addresses an interesting problem:
    • "Many passengers in vehicles may experience motion sickness. Typically, this is not the case for the driver. However, with the arrival of autonomous vehicles, the driver becomes a passenger, and thus may want to occupy themselves while, for example, riding to work. Passengers in conventional or autonomous vehicles may, for example, want to read a book, or work on their notebook computer.
 
Meet Mark Rober, the creative dynamo working on Apple’s autonomous car project
 
Jon Olsson is a young rich guy with a great YouTube channel
 
Dr. DisRespect is the most dominating streamer in the online gaming community
Direct download: CultCast_342_-_New_AirPods__New_iPhones__New_HomePod.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:28pm PST

1