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THIS WEEK:• 🤖 MORE new awesome iOS 27 features you'll actually use.
• 📱 Apple’s folding iPhone Ultra may be delayed to 2027 over hinge problems.
• 💻 Why MacBook Ultra is GREAT NEWS for Pro users.
• 📺 tvOS 27 adds a super useful new feature.
• 🚪 A new Silo season 3 teaser reveals a major change.
• 💸 Plex users are furious over a massive lifetime price increase.
• 📺 My Sony TV failure story gets an unexpected new twist.
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This week’s stories
iPhone Ultra delayed until 2027?
https://www.techradar.com/phones/iphone/iphone-ultra-delayed-until-2027-apple-is-reportedly-struggling-to-solve-a-major-hinge-problem-but-the-phones-visually-creaseless-display-sounds-promising
MacBook Ultra could be very good news for MacBook Pro users
https://9to5mac.com/2026/05/20/macbook-ultra-could-be-very-good-news-for-macbook-pro-users/
tvOS 27 will give Apple TV 4K a useful new display setting
https://9to5mac.com/2026/05/20/tvos-27-will-give-apple-tv-4k-a-useful-new-display-setting/
iOS 27’s new video feature could prove one of Apple’s best additions
https://9to5mac.com/2026/05/19/ios-27s-new-video-feature-could-prove-one-of-apples-best-additions/
Apple just revealed an iOS 27 feature that hints at Siri’s new powers
https://9to5mac.com/2026/05/19/apple-just-revealed-an-ios-27-feature-that-hints-at-siris-new-powers/
Silo season 3’s significant character change revealed in new teaser
https://9to5mac.com/2026/05/21/silo-season-3s-significant-character-change-revealed-in-new-teaser/
Plex's lifetime subscription cost is tripling to $750
https://www.engadget.com/2176760/plexs-lifetime-subscription-cost-is-tripling-to-dollar750/
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THIS WEEK: WWDC is almost here, and NEW leaks are painting us our best picture yet of iOS 27: a totally redesigned AI-powered Siri, a customizable pro-style Camera app, ads invading Apple Maps, and even reports that Apple may turn to Intel to help manufacture future chips.
Plus, how much is my 100K Apple investment worth now?! All is revealed!
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This week’s stories
Report: Intel is Testing Production of Some iPhone, iPad, and Mac Chips
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/05/14/kuo-intel-iphone-ipad-mac-chips/
Ads Aren't in the Apple Maps App Yet, But They're Coming Soonhttps://www.macrumors.com/2026/05/13/apple-maps-app-ads-summer-2026/
OpenAI considering suing Apple because ChatGPT integrations weren't a money fountainhttps://appleinsider.com/articles/26/05/14/openai-considering-suing-apple-because-chatgpt-integrations-werent-a-money-fountain
iOS 27 Getting Major Siri Redesign With Chat Interface and Dedicated Apphttps://www.macrumors.com/2026/05/12/ios-27-siri-redesign/
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THIS WEEK: The worldwide RAM shortage is finally hitting Apple, and you won’t like where this is going!
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This week’s stories
Apple Stops Selling Mac Mini With 256GB of Storage, Starting Price Rises to $799
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/05/01/mac-mini-now-starts-at-799/
Apple Cuts More Mac Studio and Mac Mini RAM Options as Memory Shortage Worsens
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/05/05/apple-mac-studio-mac-mini-ram-cuts/
Apple May Drop Base $599 MacBook Neo as Chip, DRAM Costs Climb
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/05/07/apple-drop-base-macbook-neo-costs-climb/
MacBook Neo Could Get New Colors to Cushion Potential Price Hike
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/05/07/macbook-neo-new-colors-cushion-price-hike/
Apple to Unveil macOS 27 Next Month With These New Features
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/05/01/macos-27-rumors/
AI performances and screenplays won't be eligible for Oscars
https://www.engadget.com/2162342/ai-performances-and-screenplays-wont-be-eligible-for-oscars/
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This week:
Vision Pro just went from future to flop 🥽Apple’s giant iPad Ultra dream could be folding fast 📉MagSafe might not be as permanent we thought 🧲Good luck getting your hands on Mac Mini or Studio⚡Rising memory prices will make your next Mac cost more 💸The “Liquid Glass” iPhone is LOOKING pretty awesome 📱MacBook Ultra could be Apple’s next big flex - here’s what to expect 💻Sponsors
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This week’s stories
Apple Has Given Up on the Vision Pro After M5 Refresh Flop
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/04/29/apple-vision-pro-m5-flop/
Apple Has Likely Abandoned 'iPad Ultra' Plans
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/04/29/apple-likely-abandoned-ipad-ultra-plans/
Apple Reportedly Questioning Whether iPhone Should Drop MagSafe
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/04/29/apple-questioning-iphone-magsafe/
Apple Says Mac Studio and Mac Mini Will Be in Short Supply for Months
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/04/30/mac-studio-mac-mini-constrained-months/
Apple Expects 'Significantly Higher Memory Costs' in June Quarter and Beyond
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/04/30/apple-memory-costs-significantly-higher/
20th Anniversary iPhone's 'Liquid Glass' Display to Make Bezels Vanish
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/04/28/20th-anniversary-iphone-liquid-glass-display/
Apple to Launch 'MacBook Ultra' With These Six New Features
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/04/24/macbook-ultra-up-to-six-new-features/
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This week: our beautiful Tim Cook Era comes to a conclusion. We look back at his past 15 years, and see why everyone's excited about Apple under John Ternus.
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Stories
Apple CEO Tim Cook Stepping Down, John Ternus Taking Overhttps://www.macrumors.com/2026/04/20/tim-cook-stepping-down/
MacRumors Readers React to Tim Cook Stepping Down as CEOhttps://www.macrumors.com/2026/04/21/macrumor-readers-react-john-ternus-ceo/
Tim Cook Says He's 'Healthy,' Plans to Remain at Apple 'for a Long Time'https://www.macrumors.com/2026/04/21/tim-cook-executive-chairman-role/
John Ternus: Report: Ternus to Bring Jobs-Era Decisiveness Back to Applehttps://www.macrumors.com/2026/04/21/ternus-apple-ceo-jobs-style-decisiveness/
John Ternus: we might just be in good hands
https://x.com/TrungTPhan/status/2046969886795251977?s=20
Apple Teases 'Incredible Road Map Ahead'https://www.macrumors.com/2026/04/21/apple-teases-incredible-road-map-ahead/
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This week: Apple’s $600 MacBook Neo is absolutely breaking expectations—and maybe Apple’s own plans—as demand explodes and supply starts running thin.
Plus, macOS just got a HUGE new feature you’ve probably never noticed, And Apple’s satellite tech is about to go next-level, with faster speeds, new capabilities, and features that could completely change how your iPhone works when you’re off the grid.
Also: a surprise DaVinci Resolve update that could shake up photo editing, and new details on Apple’s upcoming smart glasses that feel straight out of sci-fi.
Sponsors
Clean My Mac
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Squarespace
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CultCloth
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Stories
Apple's $599 MacBook Neo Sold Out Through April Amid Surging Demand
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/04/16/macbook-neo-demand-surging/
Microsoft Raises Prices for All Surface PCs, Making Them More Expensive Than Equivalent Macs
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/04/14/microsoft-surface-pc-price-hike/
Make Your MacBook Battery Last Longer With This Setting
https://www.macrumors.com/how-to/macbook-charge-limit-setting-benefits/
Apple has four new iPhone satellite features rumored, here’s what’s coming
https://9to5mac.com/2026/04/16/apple-has-four-new-iphone-satellite-features-rumored-heres-whats-coming/
DaVinci Resolve 21 Adds Photo Editing and AI Search Tools
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/04/14/davinci-resolve-21-photo-editing-ai-search/
Apple Testing Four Smart Glasses Styles Made of High-End Materials
https://9to5mac.com/2026/04/16/apple-has-four-new-iphone-satellite-features-rumored-heres-whats-coming/
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This week: iPhones are officially in SPACE! 🚀… but it almost didn’t happen. We break down the wild story of how the iPhone barely made it onto a NASA mission and the insane approval process behind it.
Plus: Apple’s cooking up something just as shocking—a folding “iPhone Ultra” that WILL cost over $2,000.
Plus plus: Apple’s long-term iPhone strategy and the strange struggles of the iPhone Air. From Cupertino… to the Moon 🌕—this one’s a ride.
Sponsors
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CultCloth
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Support the CultCast!
Fork over $5 a month, show papa ERF you care, at support.thecultcloth.com.
You can also go to unfork.thecultcast.com to unfork your support!
Stories
Apple's Three-Year Plan to 'Reinvent' the iPhone is Underway
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/04/08/apple-three-year-plan-to-reinvent-iphone/
iPhone Ultra's Price Range Revealed
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/04/08/iphone-ultra-price-range-revealed/
Apple is Reportedly Facing a 'Massive Dilemma' With the MacBook Neo
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/04/07/macbook-neo-massive-dilemma/
Leaker: Apple Will Release iPhone Air 2 No Matter How Badly It May Sell
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/04/08/iphone-air-2-to-launch-no-matter-what/
Apple Had to Heavily Discount the iPhone Air to Sell It
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/04/09/iphone-air-needed-discount-to-sell/
How NASA approved the iPhone 17 Pro Max for the Artemis II space mission
https://appleinsider.com/articles/26/04/04/how-nasa-approved-the-iphone-17-pro-max-for-the-artemis-ii-space-mission
iPhone's iconic space photos
https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasa2explore/55187293546/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasa2explore/55187189317/in/photostream/
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This week: We’re heading back to the Moon (with iPhones in tow!), Tim Cook might actually become Tim Cook™, and iOS 27 could finally fix autocorrect once and for all.
Plus: Apple randomly drops the price of the XDR display, a must-know iPhone video trick you’ll actually use, and the unbelievable story of Apple employee #8, the man who never left.
And to wrap it up — ERF relives his surreal Stand By Me live experience… the full story!
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Squarespace
If you’ve been thinking about building a website — or rebuilding one that hasn’t aged well — head to Squarespace.com/cultcast for 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain with code CultCast at checkout.
CultCloth
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Support the CultCast!
Fork over $5 a month, show papa ERF you care, at support.thecultcloth.com.
You can also go to unfork.thecultcast.com to unfork your support!
Stories
Phones are going to the Moon on Artemis II
https://appleinsider.com/articles/26/04/02/iphones-are-going-to-the-moon-on-artemis-ii
Tim Cook Says iPhone Launch Was His Favorite Apple Moment in 50th Anniversary Interview
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/04/01/tim-cook-50th-anniversary-interview/
iOS 27 Rumored to Feature Keyboard Upgrade
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/04/01/ios-27-upgraded-keyboard-rumor/
Studio Display XDR without tilt-adjustable stand now costs less
https://appleinsider.com/articles/26/04/01/studio-display-xdr-without-tilt-adjustable-stand-now-costs-less
Stop Your iPhone Suppressing Background Audio in Videos
https://www.macrumors.com/how-to/clearer-audio-zoomed-iphone-videos/
Apple employee #8 Chris Espinosa on working his whole life at one company
https://9to5mac.com/2026/04/02/apple-employee-8-chris-espinosa-on-working-his-whole-life-at-one-company/
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This week:
💀 Apple just killed the Mac Pro—and it’s $700 wheels too!🧠 WWDC 26 is official—Apple is about to unveil their AI master plans🔊 We’re about to get new all new HomePods, yes, including the big ones💸 Apple is throwing HUGE money at talent to stop them from leaving for OpenAI📱 Let’s go through all the cool new features in iOS 26.4!Sponsors
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Squarespace
If you’ve been thinking about building a website — or rebuilding one that hasn’t aged well — head to Squarespace.com/cultcast for 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain with code CultCast at checkout.
CultCloth
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Support the CultCast!
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This week's stories
Apple Confirms Mac Pro Is Dead, No Future Models Planned
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/03/26/apple-discontinues-mac-pro/
Apple's $700 Mac Pro Wheels Kit Discontinued Along With Mac Pro
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/03/26/mac-pro-wheels-kit-discontinued/
Apple Announces WWDC 2026 Will Take Place June 8 to 12
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/03/23/apple-announces-wwdc-2026-dates/
WWDC 2026 to Showcase Apple's 'AI Advancements'
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/03/23/wwdc-2026-ai-advancements/
New HomePod Expected Alongside Updated HomePod Mini and Apple TV
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/03/26/new-full-size-homepod-rumor/
Apple Plans to Let Rival AI Chatbots Integrate With Siri in iOS 27
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/03/26/apple-ios-27-siri-chatbot-integration/
iOS 26.4 Features: Everything New in iOS 26.4
https://www.macrumors.com/guide/ios-26-4-features/
Anthropic's Claude AI Can Now Use Your Mac While You're Away
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/03/24/claude-use-mac-remotely-iphone/
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This week: The MacBook Neo has a surprise no one’s talking about, the Studio Display XDR is seriously testing my willpower, and I break down what’s actually new (and not) with AirPods Max 2!
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NordStellar
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Squarespace
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CultCloth
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Support the CultCast!
Fork over $5 a month, show papa ERF you care, at support.thecultcloth.com.
This week's stories
iFixit Teardown: MacBook Neo Has Most Accessible Mac Battery in Over a Decade
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/03/13/ifixit-macbook-neo-teardown/
Apple Studio Display XDR Hands-On: Better Than the Pro Display XDR in Almost Every Way
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/03/17/studio-display-xdr-hands-on/
10 Audio Improvements in Apple's New AirPods Max 2
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/03/16/airpods-max-2-audio-improvements/
What Hasn't Changed With AirPods Max 2
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/03/16/what-hasnt-changed-with-airpods-max-2/
Apple Acquires Final Cut Pro Plugin Company MotionVFX
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/03/16/apple-acquires-motionvfx/
Tim Cook on iPhone's Future: 'There's So Much Left That We Can Do'
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/03/18/tim-cook-comments-on-iphone-future/
Tim Cook denies imminent retirement rumors, 'can't imagine life without Apple'
https://appleinsider.com/articles/26/03/17/tim-cook-denies-imminent-retirement-rumors-cant-imagine-life-without-apple
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This week: The MacBook Neo is here — but Apple’s next wave of devices will be even more surprising...
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Squarespace
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Support the CultCast!
Fork over $5 a month, show papa ERF you care, at support.thecultcloth.com.
This week's stories
MacBook Neo Reviews: Is Just 8GB of RAM Enough?
https://www.macrumors.com/review/macbook-neo/
Apple Still Has More New Macs Planned for 2026
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/03/08/apple-still-has-more-new-macs-planned/
Apple Could Launch Three New 'Ultra' Devices This Year
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/03/08/apple-to-launch-three-new-ultras-this-year/
Apple Planning 'MacBook Ultra' With Touchscreen and Higher Price
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/03/08/apple-planning-macbook-ultra/
Apple Vision Pro is Getting the 'World's Most Advanced Flight Simulator'
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/03/11/apple-vision-pro-x-plane-flight-simulator/
iPhone Fold Said to Come in These Three Storage Options
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/03/12/iphone-fold-these-three-storage-capacities/
Apple Announces 50th Anniversary Plans
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/03/12/apple-announces-50th-anniversary-plans/
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This week: Apple had a huge week. New M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pros just landed with massive performance gains and surprising efficiency improvements.
Apple also introduced the Mac Neo — a $500 Mac that Steve Jobs once said Apple could never build — plus a new Studio Display XDR that might quietly be the most exciting announcement of the bunch. In this episode, I break down everything Apple announced, what’s actually impressive, where the compromises are hiding, and which of these new products might really matter going forward.
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This week: Apple’s about to hit the big red LAUNCH button: March 4 brings an “Apple Experience” happening in New York, London, and Shanghai, and we'll likely see days of product drops and press releases.
Plus: we’re diving into the coming “cheap MacBook” with questionable compromises, then fast-forwarding to the truly unhinged future: a touchscreen OLED MacBook Pro with a Dynamic Island, and an iPhone 18 Pro that allegedly shrinks the Island even more.
Plus plus: Jony Ive + OpenAI - we finally know what they're working on....
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I’m joined by listener-turned-guest Major Dr. Zach Hicks, an Air Force physician living in Japan, to talk how Apple’s translation tech is making daily life in Tokyo not just possible, but actually kind of magical. We dive into using AirPods for real-time translation, navigating Japan without speaking the language, and why this stuff feels like a genuine sci-fi breakthrough. Along the way, we wander into raising kids overseas, Japanese culture shock, aviation anxiety, flying in military cargo planes, and why understanding how airplanes work might make you more nervous, not less. It’s a classic CultCast off-topic episode: part tech, part travel, part existential aviation dread — and a reminder that some of the best conversations come straight from the listener community.
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With reseller stock drying up, new M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pros appear to be RIGHT around the corner! We’ve also got more intel on Apple’s first OLED MacBook Pro (with a full redesign!). Plus: major new features landing in iOS 26.3 and 26.4, what Apple’s second-largest acquisition reveals about Siri’s future, autonomous AI agents are coming to Xcode, and a disappointing new rumor about the next Studio Display…
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This week’s stories
M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro Launch Imminent as Reseller Stock Dwindles
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/02/03/m5-pro-max-macbook-pro-imminent/
Report: OLED MacBook Pro to Launch This Year
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/02/03/report-oled-macbook-pro-to-launch-this-year/
iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/02/03/ios-26-3-and-ios-26-4-features/
Apple Makes Its Second-Biggest Acquisition Ever
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/02/03/apple-second-biggest-acquisition/
Xcode 26.3 Lets AI Agents From Anthropic and OpenAI Build Apps Autonomously
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/02/03/xcode-26-3-agentic-coding/
Apple's Studio Display 2 Rumored to Have Up to 90Hz Refresh Rate Instead of 120Hz
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/02/04/apple-studio-display-2-unusual-feature-rumor/
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This week:
A deep dive into Apple’s new Creator Studio and whether it’s actually a good value for creative professionalsEverything you need to know about AirTag 2!Not one but TWO new MacBook Pros are likely coming this year.A rundown of 20+ Apple products expected to launch this year, from Macs and iPads to totally new stuff.Google’s new $7.99 AI Plus plan and what it says about the rapidly heating AI arms raceRevelations from my trip to Stockholm using my $2K mirrorless vs my iPhone 17 Pro cameraOur sponsors
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This week's stories
Apple Creator Studio review: Incredible value for most creative pros
https://appleinsider.com/articles/26/01/28/apple-creator-studio-review-incredible-value-for-most-creative-pros
10+ Things to Know About the New AirTag 2
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/01/26/10-things-to-know-about-the-new-airtag-2/
Apple Reportedly Aiming to Upgrade the MacBook Pro Twice This Year
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/01/25/macbook-pro-two-upgrades-in-2026-rumor/
Apple to Launch These 20+ Products This Year
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/01/25/rumored-apple-products/
Google Brings Cheaper $7.99 'AI Plus' Plan to 35 Countries, Including U.S.
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/01/27/google-ai-plus-plan-expansion/
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This week on the pod, Apple’s future starts to come into focus — and it’s getting very interesting. John Ternus quietly steps into a major design role as Apple’s long-term CEO chessboard shifts, while a new report says Craig Federighi taking the reins on Apple’s evolving AI strategy.
We also dig into the biggest Siri shake-up in years: a full-on chatbot experience coming in iOS 27. Plus: five all-new Apple products are expected this year and new details on the upcoming MacBook Pro redesign!
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This week’s stories
Apple's John Ternus Takes Over Design in Latest CEO Succession Move
Report: Apple's New AI Strategy Firms Up Under Craig Federighi
A Siri Chatbot is Coming in iOS 27
Will Apple Charge for Its Siri Chatbot?
Apple Expected to Unveil Five All-New Products This Year
MacBook Pro to Receive Up to Six New Features by Next Year
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I found him in a box in downtown Scottsdale! It's the return of my old friend and former co-host, the beautiful Buster Heine.
If you like this episode, consider supporting big Papa Erf at support.thecultcast.com
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THIS WEEK
iPhone 18 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features. Apple's new Creator Studio - will Final Cut Pro on Mac will keep getting new features without paying a subscription? A new Studio or Pro XDR Display is RIGHT around the corner.And, it's official! Google Gemini will overhaul Siri - what can we expect?CultClub
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This weeks' stories
iPhone 18 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features
New Studio Display or Pro Display XDR Spotted in Regulatory Database
Apple's Google Gemini Deal Could Be Worth $5 Billion
Google Gemini-Powered Siri Will Reportedly Have These 7 New Features
Will Final Cut Pro on Mac Get Every New Feature Without a Subscription? Here's What Apple Says
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