The CultCast America's favorite Apple Podcast

This week:
We're talking leaked M2 Max MBP benchmarks, the problem with iCloud, Elon Vs. Apple, the Tesla Phone, and the poor chum who got mugged while carrying 300 brand new iPhones!
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This week's stories
Elon Musk declares war on Apple
Elon Musk declared war on Apple on Monday afternoon. A Twitter war, anyway. The new owner of Twitter very publicly objects to the 30% fee the iPhone-maker claims from purchases made through the iPhone software store, and also says Apple has threatened to pull the Twitter app from the App Store. Elon Musk might release a Twitter phone - erfon
Elon Musk says he’ll release a phone that competes with iPhone and Android if he has to. The owner of Twitter might be forced to make a handset if Apple and Google ban the social network from their software stores. Elon meeting with TC
Elon Musk admits Apple never planned to kick Twitter out of iPhone App Store
Twitter CEO Elon Musk on Wednesday walked back his claim that Apple was threatening to remove Twitter from the App Store. Leaked 2023 MacBook Pro benchmarks show it’ll support much more RAM
Very early benchmark scores for what is apparently the 2023 MacBook Pro show buyers will be able to configure it with much more RAM. And new details on the M2 Max processor were revealed, too. iCloud Storage Over the Years
Why walking the streets of NYC with 300 iPhones is a bad idea
A man was robbed of 300 iPhones he’d just purchased at the famous Apple store on Fifth Avenue early Monday. He walked out of the store and was soon assaulted by a pair of criminals who drove off with a bag carrying $95,000 worth of handsets.

This week:
iPhone 15 going Thunderbolt Insane Black Friday deals More! This episode supported by
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.
Cult of Mac's watch store is full of beautiful straps that cost way less than Apple's. See the full curated collection at Store.Cultofmac.com
CultCloth will keep your Mac Studio, Studio Display, iPhone 14, glasses and lenses sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CarryCloth with any order at CultCloth.co.
This week's stories
iPhone 15 Pro could feature significantly faster wired data-transfer speeds
2023 iPhone 15 Pro models could feature faster data-transfer speeds over a wired connection. Rumors indicate Apple will transition to USB Type-C connectors across its entire iPhone lineup next year. But the faster data-transfer speeds could be limited to the Pro models. Rounded corners and edges plus titanium case rumored for iPhone 15
A leaker with a pretty good track record for accuracy said Sunday the upcoming iPhone 15 series will feature rounded corners and edges, plus a titanium case. Rounded corners would harken way back to earlier iPhones and a titanium case would be a first for Apple handsets. See also Leander's piece from Cult of Mac Today newsletter: "Next iPhone might be titanium
In the newsletter, he talks all about Apple's alternating "Extrudo" and "Sandwich" design styles. It's been switching between the two from the very beginning! Enter to win a Function101 Button Remote for Apple TV and say, ‘So long, Siri’ [Cult of Mac giveaway]
Three lucky winners in this week’s giveaway will be able to cast aside the Siri Remote forever. We’re giving away three Function101 Button Remotes for Apple TV.e But even if you don’t win, you can still free yourself from one of Apple’s most divisive devices. Retailing at just $29.95, the Button Remote is a deal for everyone who doesn’t like the Apple TV’s Siri Remote. The best Black Friday deals on AirPods, MacBooks, iPads and Apple Watch
Black Friday is just around the corner, and that means you can get hefty discounts on Apple products. While the shopping event is a few days away, Black Friday deals have already gone live across various retailers. Mondo drops ‘innie’ and ‘outie’ vinyl soundtracks for Severance
Collectibles seller Mondo will release a soundtrack Wednesday for Apple TV+’s Severance season 1 in two versions, both on vinyl: Innie Edition and Outie Edition.

This week:
Apple's free Emergency satellite SOS goes live! Apple is building a rival to the metaverse iPhone 4K video - it’s a scam! The magic of Apple's Find My network Steve Jobs’ stinky old sandals go to auction This episode supported by
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.
Cult of Mac's watch store is full of beautiful straps that cost way less than Apple's. See the full curated collection at Store.Cultofmac.com
CultCloth will keep your Mac Studio, Studio Display, iPhone 14, glasses and lenses sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CarryCloth with any order at CultCloth.co.
This week's stories
Apple launches free Emergency SOS via satellite on all iPhone 14 models
iPhone 14 models can now use Apple’s Emergency SOS via satellite service. It allows users of the latest iOS handsets to exchange texts with emergency services while outside of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage. Apple is building a rival to the metaverse
Apple job listings offer a peek into the development of the company’s long-rumored AR headset. Cupertino seemingly wants to create augmented reality and 3D content for its mixed-reality device, which could arrive in early 2023. Steve Jobs’ sandals sell for a lot more than you might imagine anyone paying for used shoes - lewis

This week: it's about to get a lot harder to buy Macs, iPhones, AirPods and more. Get'em while you can! Plus: Apple's about to make it even easier to accidentally turn on Siri, and the strange story no one's talking about: Apple's industrial design team is falling apart right before our eyes.
This episode supported by
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.
Cult of Mac's watch store is full of beautiful straps that cost way less than Apple's. See the full curated collection at Store.Cultofmac.com
CultCloth will keep your Mac Studio, Studio Display, iPhone 14, glasses and lenses sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CarryCloth with any order at CultCloth.co.
This week's stories
Bad news for Xmas: Apple’s largest factory forced into ‘total lockdown’
Days after reports of Foxconn employees hopping fences and fleeing from their jobs, a report from Taiwan News says Apple’s biggest iPhone factory is now on “total lockdown.” These new restrictions could have a big impact on Apple’s sales during the crucial holiday period. Apple wants to shorten ‘Hey Siri’ trigger phrase to simply ‘Siri’
Apple is working on changing the “Hey Siri” hotword to just plain “Siri,” and the change could roll out as early as next year. Apple News will be shoved into the Weather app
In the latest beta of iOS 16.2, certain cities have an additional section for weather news, slotted between the 10-day forecast and the air quality meter. On iPadOS and macOS Ventura, this section occupies an even larger widget in the corner. Apple's Product Design Team Reportedly Focused More on Costs in Recent Years
Apple's efforts to replace its former design chief Jony Ive have been hindered by increased turnover within the company's product design team over the past few years, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The report claims that Apple has lost the majority of senior designers who worked under Ive, with many of them jumping ship to his new design firm LoveFrom, which he started after leaving Apple in 2019.

This week: CultCast is talking iPhone 15 going buttonless, backlit Apple logo making a comeback, and our review of Apple's weird workplace drama Severance!
This episode supported by
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.
Cult of Mac's watch store is full of beautiful straps that cost way less than Apple's. See the full curated collection at Store.Cultofmac.com
CultCloth will keep your Mac Studio, Studio Display, iPhone 13, glasses and lenses sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CarryCloth with any order at CultCloth.co.
This week's stories
iPhone 15 Pro could use solid-state volume and power buttons
Apple could switch to solid-state volume and power buttons on the iPhone 15 Pro series. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has made this claim based on his latest supply chain checks. Don’t expect new MacBook Pro or Mac mini before 2023
Apple is done introducing Macs in 2022, according to a reliable source of insider information. The MacBook Pro models with the M2 Pro and M2 Max allegedly won’t be out until late in Q1 2023. Backlit Apple Logo Could Make a Comeback on Future MacBooks
The first Mac laptop with a lit-up Apple logo was the third-generation PowerBook G3 launched in 1999, and the glowing symbol proved a mainstay through consecutive Apple notebooks for the next 16 years. The only change in that period was that the logo got flipped upright, so that it no longer appeared upside down to onlookers when someone was sat in public with the lid open. New EU Law Could Force Apple to Allow Other App Stores, Sideloading, and iMessage Interoperability
Under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), the rules will apply to tech giants that meet its "gatekeeper" criteria and force them to open up their various services and platforms to other companies and developers. Filming begins on Severance season 2 with 8 new stars
Fans of the hit Apple TV+ series Severance can rejoice that production on season 2 started this week. More of what Stephen Colbert called a “dystopian workplace sci-fi mystery black comedy psychological thriller” is on the way.

This week: all the best new and hidden features in iOS 16.1, iPadOS 16.1, and macOS Ventura. Plus: Apple releases yet another great update for the original HomePod, and BestBuy beats Apple in providing a way to pay for your new Mac monthly and trade it in when new models come out.
This episode supported by
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.
Cult of Mac's watch store is full of beautiful straps that cost way less than Apple's. See the full curated collection at Store.Cultofmac.com
CultCloth will keep your Mac Studio, Studio Display, iPhone 14, glasses and lenses sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CarryCloth with any order at CultCloth.co.
This week's stories
Apples hikes prices of Apple TV+, Apple Music and Apple One
Apple plans to raise the prices of some of its subscription services by $1 to $3 each, reports indicated Monday. The services include Apple TV+, Apple Music and the Apple One subscription bundle. 4 great iPadOS 16.1 features that aren’t Stage Manager
Apple finally released iPadOS 16.1. The debut of the Stage Manager multitasking system has drawn most of the attention, but plenty of other new features are worth checking out, too. Monday’s launch is extra-significant because iPadOS 16 never launched. Version 16.1 is the first replacement for last year’s iPadOS 15.x. 5 iOS 16.1 features to try right away
How to share an iCloud Photo Library
iOS 16.1 Features: Everything New in iOS 16.1
Apple Releases New HomePod 16.1 Software With Matter Support
According to Apple's release notes, HomePod software version 16.1 includes support for the Matter smart home standard. Best Buy's 'Upgrade+' Program Lets Customers Get a New Mac Laptop Every Three Years With Monthly Financing
Best Buy today announced a new financing and upgrade program called "Upgrade+." The program involves a combination of interest-free financing through Citizens Pay and an option to upgrade to a new Mac laptop after three years.