What we love (and don’t) about the Apple TV 4K, plus our favorite minimalist iPhone 8 cases on The CultCast

This week on The CultCast: A company unlike any other, some say Steve Job’s greatest product was Apple itself. But how has it fared in the six years since his passing? We’ll share the cold, hard facts. Plus: What we love (and don’t) about the Apple TV 4K; an iOS 11 software trick doubles your iPhone storage; and we’ll wrap up our favorite minimalist cases for your iPhone 7, 8 and X.

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Episode

CultCast #304 – Why you should get the iPhone 8 (but probably won’t)
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9 beautifully minimalist cases for your iPhone 8 & 8 Plus (and 7/7Plus)

Google’s Pixel Buds translation will change the world

• Google announced all sorts of stuff yesterday
• Pixel 2, a smart speaker called the Max to compete with the HomePod
• But at the very end of their keynote, Google introduced the Pixel Buds, wireless headphones designed for use with the company’s new Pixel 2 handset. Once paired, you can tap the right earphone then issue a command.
• If you say, “Help me speak Japanese” and then start speaking in English, the Pixel’s speakers will output your translated words as you speak them. The other party’s reply into the phone will then play into your ear through the Pixel Buds in English.
• 40 languages are currently supported, and the translation works in real time with virtually no lag.

Apple TV 4K is almost picture-perfect [Review]

• Apple’s newest set-top box pulls out all the stops to be the best on the field. It’s packing incredibly powerful new hardware that leaves competitors in the dust, and a much-improved tvOS platform that is years ahead of its rivals.
• Remote. Not much has changed for the Siri Remote, either, which is a shame — it’s still wretched. It looks almost identical this year, except there’s now a white ridge around the Menu button.
• Speed. Thanks to an A10X Fusion processor — the same one you’ll find in the latest iPad Pro — Apple TV 4K is pretty fast. It’s by far the most powerful set-top box on the market, and that’s not just for 4K video.
• 4K HDR video is sharp, colorful and full of contrast and detail. The screensavers especially are spectacular and detailed. Shot in 4K, the screensavers were downgraded for the old AppleTV. On the 4K box they appear in all their trippy, hypnotic detail.
• One thing you won’t be able to enjoy in 4K HDR, however, is YouTube. That’s because Apple doesn’t support the VP9 video format that YouTube serves up — it doesn’t work on macOS or iOS, either — so the best you’ll get is 1080p.

Our favorite iPhone 8/8Plus cases

• Edward Field Wallet Case $99
• Nodus iPhone 8 Cases
• Rhinoshield Crashguard bumper for iPhone 8 Plus/7PlusiPhone 8/7