The new M3 MacBook Air is ALMOST perfect (CultCast #638)

This week: The new M3 MacBook Air is only missing ONE thing¦ Plus: Big changes coming to apps thanks to new EU regulations, why you better act fast on the new 11-inch iPad Pro, what's coming next for CarPlay, and how to pay with an Apple Cash card number!

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This week's stories:

Entry-level M3 MacBook Air uses significantly faster SSD

• Apple fixed the slow storage speed that plagued M2 Macs on the M3 MacBook Air. Early testing indicates the entry-level M3 MacBook Air delivers significantly faster read/write speeds than its predecessor.

No App Store needed: EU iPhone users can install apps directly from websites

• Initially, Apple's plan for compliance required iPhone apps to be on alternative app marketplaces, not directly available for download.
• That requirement, which brought complaints from developers, has now been rescinded.

11.1-inch iPad Pro supply shortage might push back launch

• Apple will soon debut the M3 iPad Pros with OLED screens, but perhaps not as soon as many had hoped. And a new leak indicates the smaller 11.1-inch model could be in short supply at launch.

MacRumors: Here's Everything We Know About Apple's Next-Generation CarPlay

• It has been nearly two years since Apple first previewed next-generation CarPlay at WWDC 2022, and it has still yet to become available in any vehicles. Below, we recap the latest information about the upcoming software system.
• Tim Cook cameo in Porsche event

How to pay with an Apple Cash card number

• You can get a temporary debit card number to pay with Apple Cash online in case you want to pay with your balance on a site that doesn't accept Apple Pay.
• If you have a lot of money sitting in your Apple Cash account, this can be a convenient way to pay without using your other cards.

Apple acquires fundamental AI smarts by buying DarwinAI

• Apple reportedly purchased DarwinAI, a small startup previously based in Waterloo, Ontario. The company developed software that might make artificial intelligence systems running on an iPhone or other computers more efficient.