CultCast #233 - Mr. Meme

This week: Macbook Pro about to get its biggest refresh ever!  Plus: Apple’s plans to rival Amazon’s Echo; Apple gets serious about iCar charging stations; more great stories from the Cult of Mac; the state of gaming in OS X, iOS, and tvOS; and we set aside our agendas to discuss YOUR topics in an all-new As You Wish.   This episode supported by   Freshbooks, the easy-to-use invoicing software designed to help small business owners get organized, save time invoicing and get paid faster.  And I can vouch for this from experience, it also makes tax time a cinch.  Get started with a free trial at Freshbooks.com/cultcast, and please enter “CultCast” in the “How did you hear about us?” section!   TunnelBear, the simple privacy app that makes it easy to browse privately and enjoy a more open internet. Visit GetTunnelBear.com to get your free TunnelBear today.   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   Apple plans to make Amazon Echo rival by opening Siri http://www.cultofmac.com/429929/apple-plans-to-make-amazon-echo-rival-by-opening-siri/

• Apple is reportedly planning to make a rival to the Amazon Echo, but the in order to compete with the device’s incredible array of features and services, Apple plans to open up Siri to third-party apps.
• According to The Information, Apple to open up Siri to apps made by others. And it is working on an Amazon Echo-like device with a speaker and microphone that people can use to turn on music, get news headlines or set a timer.
• Opening up its Siri voice assistant to outside app developers is the more immediate step [to competing with Echo],” reports the Information. Apple is supposedly preparing to release a Siri SDK that could arrive at WWDC 2016 

  MacBook Pro to get Touch ID in biggest ever refresh http://www.cultofmac.com/429822/macbook-pro-to-get-touch-id-in-biggest-ever-refresh/

• Apple is set to give its MacBook Pro lineup their “most significant upgrade ever,” according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities.
• New Macs will be thinner and lighter
• Will also include Touch ID and an OLED display touch bar to replace physical function keys on the keyboard, Employ the same metal injection molded hinges and butterfly mechanism keyboard seen on the 12-inch MacBook.

  Apple is already working on charging stations for iCar http://www.cultofmac.com/430020/apple-is-already-working-on-charging-stations-for-icar/

• Apple appears to be preparing the ground work for its charging infrastructure, according to a new report claiming the company is scooping up engineers that specialize in electric charing stations.
• “Apple is investigating how to charge electric cars, talking to charging station companies and hiring engineers with expertise in the area,” reports Reuters
• Apple has hired at least four charging specialists to help it create a competitive charger, including former BMW 

  If you’ve broken your iPhone, Parry Gripp’s music will comfort you https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3mKnPTcrqc&feature=youtu.be   Leander’s been testing out the Eero router and talked about the Luma too https://www.eero.com https://getluma.com/about/