The CultCast

This week: some major changes are in store for Apple’s legendary industrial design team… we discuss. Plus: Apple commits to fixing all MacBook keyboard issues in just ONE day. This is huge. And it looks like not one but TWO new versions of the AirPods are in development, with one being released this year. We’ll fill you in. And the new Powerbeats Pro wireless earphones are almost here, and they look like the higher quality AirPods we’ve always wanted.

This episode supported by

Dashlane is the official password manager of Cult of Mac. It's so good, even El Kahney's mummy uses it! Use it for free for one device at Dashlane.com/CultofMac.

Easily create a beautiful website all 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.

On the show this week

@erfon / @lewiswallace / @lkahney


 

This week's stories

Order Leander's new book, signed!

Apple sets 24-hour turnaround time for MacBook keyboard repairs

  • Apple has ordered that sticky MacBook keys be repaired fast enough that, whenever possible, the owner can get their computer back the next day.
  • An internal Apple memo said this:
    • “Most keyboard-related repairs will be required to be completed in store until further notice. Additional service parts have been shipped to stores to support the increased volume. These repairs should be prioritized to provide next-day turnaround time.”
  • Keyboard issues were previously being sent out for repairs, which could take a full week.
  • Apple is now prioritizing repairs and they will be done in store whenever possible. The goal is to get your laptop back to you in 24 hours.
  • My source says they see rarely see issues with the 3rd get butterfly keyboard He works at one of the busiest stores on the the west coast.
  • They see 2017 and 2016 MBP keyboard issues all the time...
  • When they do see issues, it’s usually with someone who does a lot of typing
  • For 2016 2017 models, he said most issues are from debris under the keys.
  • They use a special tool to remove the key, blow it out with canned air, and wipe it out with alcohol, then it’s “good as new”

Renowned Apple analyst thinks 2 new AirPod models are on the way

  • Ming-Chi Kuo says Cupertino plans to release two new models of AirPods, either at the end of this year or the start of 2020.
  • The two models Kuo mentions will include a more expensive and a cheaper option. This would make the AirPods product lineup similar to how Apple has been dividing the iPhone since 2013’s iPhone 5c and 5s. Kuo says the pricier AirPods option will include a redesigned form factor. The cheaper models, meanwhile, will retain the same design and pricing as the current model.

Third-gen AirPods may be on the way before end of 2019

  • We may only just be getting used to our second-gen AirPods, but Apple is reportedly gearing up to release its third generation AirPods.
  • According to a new Digitimes report, the AirPods 3 headphones will go on sale by the end of 2019. The main selling point of the new AirPods will be their smart noise-cancelling tech.
  • AirPods are reportedly Apple’s second-best-selling new product of all time.

Powerbeats Pro will only be available in black at launch

  • Apple revealed the Powerbeats Pro wireless earbuds earlier this month with black, ivory, moss and navy color options. The ivory ones look especially sleek, but it appears that only the black ones will be available at launch.
  • Black launch mid May, others available this summer.
  • The new Powerbeats Pro are the first truly wireless earbuds to come out of the Beats by Dre labratory. They’re pretty much the same as the new AirPods, only they have better sweat and water resistance. Longer battery life is one of the other standout features and they have the same H1 wireless chip you’ll find in the updated AirPods that came out last month.

Samsung delays Galaxy Fold launch

  • Samsung is hitting the brakes on the launch of its folding smartphone, the Galaxy Fold and have recalled all the review units.
  • Galaxy Fold units were supposed to start shipping to customers on April 26th with units costing $1980 a piece.
  • Samsung is now saying they’ll be reinforcing the screen, and announcing another new release date "in the coming weeks."
  • If you don’t know the screens were having all sorts of issues.
  • Rewiewers were unknowably removing the plastic screen protector which was causing failures.
  • One reviewer found that something got behind the bend of the display and caused a bulge.
  • There’s was a weirdly visible crease in on the screen where it folds. The Verge highlighted that.
Direct download: CultCast_385.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:00am PDT

This week: is the CultCast crew too critical of Apple? Some say yes. We discuss! Plus, we talk about the pros and cons of Apple’s reported modular Mac Pro. And we’ll look at why Samsung’s new folding phone is already breaking! And this fatal flaw might mean its demise...

This episode supported by

Dashlane is the official password manager of Cult of Mac. It's so good, even El Kahney's mummy uses it! Use it for free for one device at Dashlane.com/CultofMac.

Easily create a beautiful website all 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, 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.

On the show this week

@erfon / @lewiswallace

 

This week's stories

Order Leander's new book, signed!

Modular Mac Pro - Apple’s next flop?

Samsung Galaxy Fold vs Flagship Smartphones

Samsung’s folding smartphones break on Day 1

  • Samsung’s new Galaxy Fold smartphone has a serious problem with its folding display.
  • Multiple early reviewers are reporting that the display has broken after just one or two days of use. It appears that the hinge on some units is defective, causing the screen to be unusable.
  • The Verge, Bloomberg, and other high profile reviewers have had the screens on their units break

 

Direct download: cultcast_384.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:26am PDT

This week: Apple’s readying a totally redesigned MacBook Pro with next gen display! We discuss. Plus: Apple’s working on the next generation of Magsafe! And we take a fascinating look at the unbelievable scale and size of Apple’s megafactories from a bonus chapter of Leander’s new book, Tim Cook: The genius who took Apple to the next level.

This episode supported by

Techmeme Ride Home is silicon valley's water cooler podcast. Stay up to date on the latest tech news with new episodes each day--search for Ride Home podcast in your podcast app of choice and give it a listen!

Easily create a beautiful website all 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.

On the show this week

@erfon / @lkahney

 

This week's stories

Pre-Order Leander's new book, signed!

9 months with stereo HomePods! The good, bad, & the UGLY!

Apple cuts price of HomePod in U.S. and other countries

  • Apple permanently slashed the price of HomePod in the United States and a number of other countries. The company’s first smart speaker now lists for $299 — a full $50 less than its original price.
  • Some might assume the HomePod discount is a result of lackluster sales. But Apple says it is simply passing on savings achieved by manufacturing at scale, according to AppleInsider. (It’s a shame the company doesn’t do that with all its products.)

Biggest MacBook in years could debut in 2021

  • Ming Chi Kuo says Apple is working on a MacBook Pro that’s bigger than any released in years. The downside is this model won’t be out until 2021.
  • This device, as well as a new iPad and an external display, will all supposedly use a new type of display: microLED.microLED is the next generation of screen technology. It’s brings the strength the strengths of OLED, perfect black levels, incredible color saturation and accuracy, without the negatives, E.G. degrading performance and brightness over time, and burn in.
  • Multiple companies are currently working to figure out how to manufacture the technology, but it’s hard, because the LEDS have to be perfectly placed or the screen brightness looks wonky.
  • The MacBook that will be between 15 and 17 inched. but he’s now saying this will be out in the first half of 2021.
  • This is the same machine Kuo implied would be a major redesign...

Apple’s beloved MagSafe connector could make a comeback

  • Apple is exploring charging cables that attach to its devices with magnets.
  • Apple just received a patent for “Smart Charging Systems for Portable Electronic Devices.” This describes using magnets in cables to prevent damage if they get yanked on.
  • Apple envisions the system taking an active part in disconnecting itself if an accident occurs. “The connector can be disconnected from the portable electronic device by the charging component before the jolting event occurs.”
  • MagSafe was only for MacBooks, but the new version might have a much wider reach. The patent says this magnetized charging system could be used with “a smart phone, wearable device, smart watch, tablet, personal computer, and the like.”
  • That said, this is only a patent application, not a product announcement. It’s possible this research might not ever become a product.

Inside Apple’s factories [Cook book outtakes]

  • Apple’s capital expenditure, or CapEx, is mindboggling. To get an idea of how big it is, take Apple’s new spaceship campus in Cupertino – which is the fourth most expensive building in the world. It cost the company an estimated $5 billion to construct.
  • Apple spends a similar amount every six months on manufacturing equipment

 

Direct download: cultcast_383.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:26am PDT

This week: AirPower—the real problem no one else is talking about… Plus: 2019 iPhone rumors point to some wildly useful new features; more evidence the 2018 MacBook, Air and Pro keyboards are STILL having issues. And we wrap up with a review of Leander’s favorite wireless charging mat, Lewis’ take on the new AirPods 2, and Erfon’s got a favorite new podcasting gadget on an all-new Under Review

This episode supported by

Techmeme Ride Home is silicon valley's water cooler podcast. Stay up to date on the latest tech news with new episodes each day--search for Ride Home podcast in your podcast app of choice and give it a listen!

Easily create a beautiful website all 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.

On the show this week

@erfon / @lewiswallace / @lkahney

Pre-Order Leander's new book, signed!

What went wrong with Apple’s doomed AirPower charging mat?

  • AirPower is officially dead. It’s the first time in Apple’s history that they canceled an announced, but unreleased product.
  • It’s been about 1.5 years since Apple titillated fans by revealing a wireless charging mat that supposedly would charge not one, not two, but three Apple devices at the same time.
  • Overheating problems reportedly posed the biggest hurdle for bringing AirPower to market. We heard rumors and rumblings for more than a year that Apple faced serious technical hurdles as it tried to make AirPower a reality.
  • Most wireless charging mats have only one power-generating coil. Some specialized chargers offer two coils, placed far apart. Apple tried to put three or more charging coils into one pad so you could place your device anywhere and it would start charging.
  • One of John Gruber’s sources said the design would never work; it violated the laws of physics.
  • But here’s the real AirPower problem no one’s talking about…

Two-way charging and bigger batteries rumored for 2019 iPhones

  • According to a new report from Mind Chi Kuo, Apple is reportedly planning to add two-way charging that will allow it to recharge your Apple Watch, AirPods and even other iPhones.
  • Now if this feature sounds familiar, it may be because Samsung included on the Galaxy S10+...
  • Kuo also claims battery capacity will increase between 10 percent and 25 percent on the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max successors. The iPhone XS successor will get the biggest gains, while the iPhone XR successor is expected to get minimal battery gains
  • Other rumored features for the 2019 iPhone lineup includes a three-lens camera on the back, improved Face ID sensors, a more powerful A13 processor and possibly support for Apple Pencil

The MacBook keyboard fiasco is way worse than Apple thinks

  • David Heinemeier Hansson. Founder of Basecamp. Creator of Ruby on Rails.
  • Apple keep insisting that only a “small number of customers have problems” with the MacBook keyboards. That’s bollocks. This is a huge issue, it’s getting worse not better, and Apple is missing the forest for the trees.
  • So here’s some anecdata for Apple. I sampled the people at Basecamp. Out of the 47 people using MacBooks at the company, a staggering 30% are dealing with keyboard issues right now!! And that’s just the people dealing with current keyboard issues. If you include all the people who used to have issues, but went through a repair or replacement process, the number would be even higher.
  • Worth noting here is that the 3rd generation membrane keyboard did nothing to fix the issues. Six out of thirteen – nearly half!! – of the 2018+ MacBooks we have at the company have a failed keyboard.
  • He did a Twitter poll that currently has over 7300 responses.
    • 37% have no keyboard issues.
    • 11% had issues that were fixed by Apple
    • 52% have issues now that they’re just living with.
    • He’s calling for Apple to do a Total Recall….

 

Direct download: cultcast_382.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:27pm PDT

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