The CultCast
America's favorite Apple Podcast
<p>The CultCast covers each week’s best Apple stories, tech news, and accessories—but more importantly—we do it with pizzaz. Why listen to another dreary tech program? Tune in to the CultCast each week for a healthy dose of Apple and tech news, jokes gone wrong, and unending tangents.</p><p><br></p>
- 1 hour 11 minutesApple kills Mac Pro! Plus: WWDC 26 expectations, new BIG HomePods incoming, & all the best features in iOS 26.4!
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!
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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/
27 March 2026, 7:00 am - 1 hour 12 minutesMacBook Neo Surprise, XDR Is Tempting Me, And The Truth About AirPods Max 2! (CultCast #741)
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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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'
20 March 2026, 7:00 am - 55 minutes 10 secondsPrepare your wallets — Apple’s “Ultra” Era Is About to Begin! (CultCast #740)
This week: The MacBook Neo is here — but Apple’s next wave of devices will be even more surprising...
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
Keep your gadgets, glasses, and more sparkling clean with CultCloth, premium grade cleaning cloths available only at CultCloth.co.
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/
13 March 2026, 8:00 am - 1 hour 4 minutesM5 MacBook Pros, Mac Neo, Studio Display XDR — Reacting to Apple’s Wild Week!
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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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.
6 March 2026, 9:00 am - 1 hour 8 minutesIT'S ALL ABOUT TO DROP.... (CultCast #738)
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....
27 February 2026, 8:00 am - 59 minutes 2 secondsApple Is Changing Everything Again — Foldables, Satellite Internet & Vision Pro Upgrades (CultCast #737)
This week:
- Why your next iPhone could run on satellites
- What's the future for Vision Pro?
- Vision Pro gets a LONG awaited app
- Apple is prepping multiple foldable iPhones
- And Jony Ive debuts one of his most beautiful designs since iPhone
13 February 2026, 11:00 pm - 43 minutes 14 secondsLiving in Japan Without Speaking Japanese — How Apple Makes It Possible (CCOT)
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.
10 February 2026, 3:00 pm - 1 hour 5 minutesM5 MacBook Pros Incoming — But HOLD ON… OLED Macs Are Next. Plus: AI Xcode & Apple’s New $2B Bet (CultCast #736)
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…
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
Keep your gadgets, glasses, and more sparkling clean with CultCloth, premium grade cleaning cloths available only at CultCloth.co.
Support the CultCast!
Fork over $5 a month, show papa ERF you care, at support.thecultcloth.com.
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/
8 February 2026, 6:00 am - 1 hour 34 minutesAirTags 2, Apple’s ENTIRE 2026 product roadmap, & my new camera! (CultCast #735)
This week:
- A deep dive into Apple’s new Creator Studio and whether it’s actually a good value for creative professionals
- Everything 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 race
- Revelations from my trip to Stockholm using my $2K mirrorless vs my iPhone 17 Pro camera
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This week's stories
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/
30 January 2026, 10:00 am - 55 minutes 5 secondsBig Apple Shakeup + FIVE new Apple products & M5 MacBook Pros incoming! (CultCast #734)
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
23 January 2026, 10:00 am - 50 minutes 47 secondsCultCast Off Topic: a very special guest....
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
22 January 2026, 4:00 am - More Episodes? Get the App