CultCast #252 - Galaxy Grenades

10/07/16 • 60 min

This week: revamped iPads coming this spring; Apple lays the groundwork for the next era of personal technology; how smart homes get hacked; Google’s Pixel phone vs. iPhone 7; and we reveal our favorite new iOS and Mac apps! This episode supported by Build a beautiful, responsive website quick at Squarespace.com. Enter offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off. Squarespace—Build it Beautiful. Easiest Casper’s American-made mattresses have just the right amount of memory foam and latex, and people everywhere love them. Learn why at Casper.com/cultcast and get $50 towards any mattress with code "CultCast". We also want to give Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com a thanks for the great music you hear on today's show. On the show this week @erfon / @bst3r / @lkahney Intro - Do you even scan, bro? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRRHHqY7RwE We’re glad to see they’re putting them to good use https://www.instagram.com/p/BLOEKS7j9gw/ Replacement Galaxy Note 7 catches fire on a plane http://www.cultofmac.com/448043/replacement-galaxy-note-7-catches-fire-plane/

Southwest Airlines was forced to evacuate a flight from Louisville to Baltimore this morning before it hit the runway, thanks to a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone that caught fire.
The owner of the Galaxy Note 7 said he got the new phone on September 21st at an AT&T store. Before the flight left the gate, the owner says he powered it down and put it in his pocket when it started smoking.
Thick grey-green smoke poured out of the device after the owner dropped it on the floor. In a matter of moments it had burned through the plane’s carpet.
“All passengers and crew exited the plane via the main cabin door and no injuries were reported,”

With new hardware trio, Google makes major play for your home http://www.cultofmac.com/447847/new-hardware-trio-google-makes-major-play-home/

During an event in San Francisco today, Google unveiled a new Wi-Fi router, an improved Chromecast with 4K support, and a new Google Home device that’s a lot like Amazon’s Echo smart speaker, only it’s powered by Google Assistant.
Google Home allows owners to use voice commands to do stuff like play music on YouTube, Google Play Music or Spotify. You can also ask Google Home to play podcasts or news feeds.

AirPods point to Apple’s domination of ‘ambient paradigm’

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Southwest Airlines was forced to evacuate a flight from Louisville to Baltimore this morning before it hit the runway, thanks to a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone that caught fire.
The owner of the Galaxy Note 7 said he got the new phone on September 21st at an AT&T store. Before the flight left the gate, the owner says he powered it down and put it in his pocket when it started smoking.
Thick grey-green smoke poured out of the device after the owner dropped it on the floor. In a matter of moments it had burned through the plane’s carpet.
“All passengers and crew exited the plane via the main cabin door and no injuries were reported,”

With new hardware trio, Google makes major play for your home http://www.cultofmac.com/447847/new-hardware-trio-google-makes-major-play-home/

During an event in San Francisco today, Google unveiled a new Wi-Fi router, an improved Chromecast with 4K support, and a new Google Home device that’s a lot like Amazon’s Echo smart speaker, only it’s powered by Google Assistant.
Google Home allows owners to use voice commands to do stuff like play music on YouTube, Google Play Music or Spotify. You can also ask Google Home to play podcasts or news feeds.

AirPods point to Apple’s domination of ‘ambient paradigm’

Previous Episode

CultCast #251 - Big October Mac event?

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This week: reports point to a big Mac event coming in October! We’ll tell you why we expect more than just overhauled MacBook Pros... Plus: we remember Steve Jobs, and what made him so damned good; why the jet black iPhone 7 is impossible to find; and stay tuned for drone chat, where we discuss the super cool new drones hitting the market. This episode supported by Dollar Shave Club delivers amazing razors right to your door for a third of the price of what the greedy razor corporations charge. Try it yourself with your first month free at DollarShaveClub.com/CultCast. Withings Body Cardio scale helps you assess overall cardiovascular health with Heart Rate and Pulse Wave Velocity, a medically-accepted measurement that tracks the speed at which heartbeat-generated waves move along the arteries. Learn more at Withings.com. We also want to give Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com a thanks for the great music you hear on today's show. On the show this week @erfon / @bst3 r / @lewiswallace Intro - The Extraordinary Powerbook https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqcZttJJtIE Long-awaited MacBook Pro update might land in October http://www.cultofmac.com/447146/apples-new-macbook-pro-may-launch-october/

MacRumors has reported that Apple is moving rapidly toward a launch of the new MacBook Pro models, with current development work on macOS 10.12.1 focused largely on preparing the operating system to support the updated hardware's new features
Apple hasn’t made a significant update to the MacBook Pro lineup since May 2015
According to MacRumors‘ report, Apple is just waiting for development of macOS 10.12.1 to finish so it can support the updated hardware’s new features. Apple is supposedly planning to seed one more beta version of macOS 10.12.1 early next week. That version will then be polished and loaded onto hardware currently being produced.
rumored by several sources to include Touch ID support and an OLED "touch bar" replacing the current row of function keys across the top of keyboard. Apple is also said to be shifting to "Polaris" graphics chips from AMD on the higher-end 15-inch models.
iMac 352/317 (days since update/average)
MBP 500/268
MBA 570/350
Mac Mini 714/438
Mac Pro 1015/449

Here’s why jet black iPhone 7 is impossible to find http://www.cultofmac.com/446735/heres-jet-black-iphone-7-impossible-find/

Apple’s new jet black iPhone 7 is nearly impossible to find at stores, and the shortage isn’t going to get better anytime soon, according to one of the most accur

Next Episode

CultCast #253 - Eatercising

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This week: tips, tricks, and techniques to take beautiful iPhone photos and build a following on Instagram. Plus: the crazy exploding Samsung Galaxy Note saga ends in a strange twist; rumors point to Macs with radically new e-ink keyboards; and an honest look at Siri vs. the AI competition. This episode supported by CultCloth will keep your iPhone 7, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time you can get 20% off your order with code JETBLACK at CultCloth.co. And check out Cult of Mac’s new, free fitness eBook! This ebook is your practical how-to guide, covering step by step everything you need to know about getting fit with Apple’s devices. We also want to give Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com a thanks for the great music you hear on today's show. On the show this week @erfon / @bst3r / @lkahney Intro - Freedom of choice! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pJWMs5claM Earin wireless earbuds https://www.earin.com Apple may be working on keyboard with e-ink display keys http://www.cultofmac.com/449008/apple-e-ink-keyboard-demo/ Buster

A Redditor namede Foxconninsider recently posted about a new Smart Keyboard claimed to be a working e-ink keyboard prototype potentially coming to both iMac and MacBook devices sometime in 2018.
The Guardian is now corroborating the keyboard with a claim that Apple CEO, Tim Cook has met with Sonder founder Serra-Martins in while in China.

Samsung mercifully puts Galaxy Note 7 out of its misery http://www.cultofmac.com/448826/samsung-mercifully-puts-galaxy-note-7-misery/

Samsung has permanently stopped production of its once-acclaimed new smartphone flagship. Owners will be able to return their phones for a refund or to swap it out for another Samsung device.
The handset was allegedly rushed to market due to Samsung’s confidence that the iPhone 7 would turn out to be a box office dud.

LOL: Galaxy No