The CultCast
This week: hours after Apple sends out their iPhone event invites, a BIG leak reveals what they have in store.  Plus: all our hardware expectations for Apple’s upcoming keynote; Erfon’s first impressions of his new 2018 MacBook Pro, how to get the best discounts, and how to score a free extended warranty.
 
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The Cult of Mac watch store has the best straps in the biz!  Check out the huge Labor Day sale with savings up to 50% at http://store.cultofmac.com.
 
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
 
Confirmed: Apple sends out invites for Sept. 12 iPhone event
  • The "Gather Round" event invites have been sent out.  
  • Apple’s big fall event will take place at the Steve Jobs Theater in Apple Park on September 12.
  • The keynote will start at 10 a.m. PT, during which we expect to see the new iPhone lineup, an Apple Watch Series 4, major improvements to iPad Pro, and more.
 
Apple Watch Series 4 revealed — massive display, dense watch face, more
 
This is ‘iPhone XS’ — design, larger version, and gold colors confirmed
 
Direct download: CultCast_351_-_iPhone_and_Apple_Watch_leak_BIG.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:05am PDT

Better late than never!  With Erfon and Buster out, Lewis and Leander take the reigns of their very first CultCast to discuss the week's best Apple stories!  Ladies and gentlemen, this is one for the record books.

This is last week's episode come late.  We'll have another new episode out this week.

Direct download: cultcast_350.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:10pm PDT

This week: Alex Jones and free speech, part 2.  Plus: Ming-Chi Kuo says the Apple car is real, and you can drive it off the lot 2023.  And stay tuned for our most loved tech!  We’ll discuss the gadgets and apps we can’t be without.
 
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.
 
Campaign Monitor gives you everything you need to run beautifully-designed, professional email marketing campaigns to grow your business.  No wonder it’s used by more than 250,000 businesses, worldwide.  To start building smart and beautiful email newsletters today, try Campaign Monitor for free at campaignmonitor.com
 
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 McLeod for the music you hear on today’s episode.
 
On the show this week
 
Kuo: Apple to Launch Apple Car in 2023 to 2025
  • According to Kuo, Apple will launch an Apple Car sometime between 2023 and 2025.  He said this is a recent note to investors:
  • "We expect that Apple Car, which will likely be launched in 2023–2025, will be the next star product. The reasons for this are as follows: (1) Potentially huge replacement demands are emerging in the auto sector because it is being redefined by new technologies. (2) Apple’s leading technology advantages (like AR) would redefine cars and differentiate Apple Car from peers’ products (3) Apple’s service will grow significantly by entering the huge car finance market via Apple Car, and (4) Apple can do a better integration of hardware, software, and service than current competitors
 
 
We may finally know AirPower Mat price
  • The long-awaited launch of Apple’s AirPower wireless charging pad may coincide with the launch of the 2018 iPhone lineup.
  • Based on a new report out of Asia, Apple engineers are in the debugging phase of the AirPower rollout. The product may not launch on the exact same day as the 2018 iPhones, but a Chinese site claims to know the planned price. And it’s not going to be cheap.
  • Though a previous rumor claimed the price could hit $200, Apple will reportedly charge $149 for the AirPower charging mat, according to Chongdiantou.
  • Overheating issues have allegedly caused delays with the Apple charging pad
 
Our most-loved gadgets!
 
Anker Powerhouse
 
Parrot Zik 3 headphones 
 
Lose It!  App
 
Sound Devices MixPre-6
 
Fuji X-T1
 
Specialized Tarmac
 
Ultimate Ears Megaboom
 
Moment iPhone X lenses
Direct download: CultCast_349_-_Apple_s_TRUE_car_plans_and_our_most_loved_tech.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:51pm PDT

This week: Apple wipes the Infowars podcast from iTunes, but should they be getting involved in the censorship game?  Plus: we look at the new gadgets announced at Samsung’s unpacked event; and we discuss some of the biggest TV news of the decade in an all-new Under Review!
 
This episode supported by
 
A business is only as strong as its people, and every hire matters… go to LinkedIn.com/cultcast and get a $50 credit toward your first job post.
 
Casper makes the internet’s favorite mattress.  Learn why at Casper.com/cultcast, and use code "CultCast" at checkout for $50 off select mattress purchases.
 
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 McLeod for the music you hear on today’s episode.
 
On the show this week
 
EU may force iPhone to switch from Lightning to USB
  • EU regulators are considering whether they need to force a common standard for phone chargers.
  • The idea is to cut down on the 51,000 tons of old chargers and cables thrown away each year.
  • Way back in 2009, the European Commission pressured Apple and 13 other companies to work toward a common charging standard by 2011. All the other signatories gave up their proprietary plugs and switched to USB.  Apple switched to lightning, their own proprietary port.
  • Accordingly to Reuters, that didn't satisfy that EU Commissioner of Competition, and now the commission is launching an impact assessment study to evaluate costs and benefits of different other options, the other option being forcing Apple to adopt USB on the devices.
 
 
Apple removes InfoWars and Alex Jones podcasts
  • Apple has removed the entire back catalog for five InfoWars’ six podcasts on iTunes and its Podcasts app. One of these shows is the daily “War Room” show hosted by owner and radio host Alex Jones.
  • Shortly thereafter, Facebook removed InfoWars page, YouTube removed their channel, Pinterest pin boards, Linked In removed the InfoWars page, Mail Chimp refuses to send their emails, and website comment host Disqus has given them the boot.
  • "Consistent with our existing policies, we take action against accounts that repeatedly save content that could lead to harm," a Pinterest spokesperson said in an email statement.
 
 
Samsung preps rivals for Apple Watch and HomePod
 
What we’re into!
 
The Orville
 
Mission Impossible Fallout
 
Captain Jean-luc Picard will helm a new Star Trek series
Direct download: CultCast_348_-_Apple_enters_the_censorship_game.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:49pm PDT

This week:  Is the i9 MacBook Pro a total ripoff?  One YouTube reviewer says yes, and his tests are convincing.  We’ll fill you in.  Plus: the journey to a trillion!  How did Apple become the most valuable company on earth?  We discuss, and remember the company's troubled history. And stay tuned for the sad decline of MoviePass.  Is the troubled movie service still worth it?
 
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.
 
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
 
i9 Macbook Pro - Apple's biggest RIPOFF! - erfon
  • YouTuber Max Yuryev pitted the 2.2Ghz and 2.6Ghz i7 MacBook Pros against the the 2.9GHz i9, and the results aren’t great.  These are the tests I’ve been waiting for.
  • in his Cinebench test, he found the i9 beat the i7 by only 2 percent, averaging only 3.15Ghz, while both the 2.2Ghz and 2.6Ghz i7’s both averaged 3.05 Ghz.
  • And in test after test, he showed that the i9 rarely performs better than the 2.6Ghz i7.
  • Why?  It seems like it comes down to heat.  Even with the patch, the MBP struggles to keep the i9 cool enough to keep it in turbo mode, and sometimes it’s even not cool enough to run at base clock.
  • For example: In his Red Raven 4.5K Raw rendering test, he noticed that the 2.2Ghz i7 ran about 500Mhz over base clock speed, the 2.7 ran about 200Mhz over base, and the 2.9 ran about 500Mhz below base clock.
  • He noted that the GPU and CPU use the same cooler, so if you’re pushing the GPU, like many rendering apps do, the CPU won’t be cooled as well, so can end up throttling more than you’d want.
  • So what does all these mean?  
    • It doesn’t seem to make sense to pay extra for the i9.  It matches or barely beats the 2.6Ghz in many tests, and sometimes can’t even beat the 2.2Ghz i7.
    • A better value, and bigger a bottle neck in the 2018 MBP isn’t the CPU, it’s the GPU.
    • The base MBP comes with a 555X Radeon GPU, whereas the premium 2.7Ghz i7 and 2.9Ghz i9 models come with a Radeon 560X, and that’s what made the biggest difference in his tests.
    • My thoughts, go with the 2.7Ghz i7, the 560X GPU, and use the i9 money you save for extra SSD space.
 
 
The biggest takeaways from Apple’s dominant Q3 earnings results
  • Apple beat Wall Street’s expectations today with its Q3 2018 earnings report, shooting its stock price just below the $204 price needed to mint it as the world’s first TRILLION dollar company. 
  • iPhone sales were up slightly year-over-year. Revenue was up big time. The ASP (average selling price) was also up big time. Even Apple’s EPS (earnings per share) was higher than some of the biggest Apple believers expected.
  • When the iPhone X launched last year it was panned as too expensive by far too many critics, but Phone revenue was up 20% YOY.
  • Wearable sales are up 60% year-over-year
  • AirPods and Beats are also selling well. Combined with Apple Watch they’ve generated more than $10 billion in revenue in just the last year.
  • TimCook also commented on Apple’s TV deal with Oprah, saying he “couldn’t be happier” that she’s on board.
  • He also said there’d be “dramatic changes speeding up in the content industry,” and went on to say “We’re really happy to be working on something. We’re just not ready to talk about it in-depth today.”
  • Apple sold only 3.72 Macs in its third quarter, less than any single quart since it’s Q3 of 2010.  This may be because it’s entire Mac line was ancient until just weeks ago, in Q4, when MBP was updated.
  • iPhone and iPad now make up 65% of Apple’s yearly revenue.
 
The sad decline of MoviePass. Is it still worth it?
  • It was a year ago, in august of 2017, that MoviePass dropped their price to $9.95 a month. In the following two days, more than 150,000 new users signed up, crashing their website and app.
  • Though AMC said MoviePass’s model could never work, they essentially created their own version of the service to compete. It’s $20 a month and their service includes digital reservations, iMax and 3D, and let’s you see the same movie more than once.
  • Sinemia is another competitor that’s popped up.  They offer a 2 movie a month plan for $10 a month that works with any theater, offers advanced ticket options, and works on 3D movies, IMAX, 4DX, and more.  
Direct download: CultCast_347_-_i9_MacBook_Pro_-_a_total_ripoff_.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:11pm PDT

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