CultCast #341 - The SAD state of the Mac

The CultCast - A podcast by America's favorite Apple Podcast - Fridays

Categories:

Technology

This week:
  • It’s been over a year since Apple has updated virtually any of their Macs.  Just what in the heck in going on?  
  • Why all your online purchases will soon be taxed
  • Instagram takes on YouTube with new IGTV app
  • MoviePass is about to change for the worse.  AGAIN.
  • America’s largest theater chain just put the final nails in the MoviePass coffin
  • And things get weird in an all-new what we’re into!
 
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Thanks to Kevin McLeodfor the music you hear on today’s episode.
 
On the show this week
 
Supreme Court Kills Quill, Gives States More Authority To Collect Sales Tax
  • It’s a sad day for US.  It’s the end of an era.  The end of tax-free shopping online.  
  • In 1992 the supreme court that a state couldn’t force an online retailer to collect sales tax for them if the retailer didn’t have a physical presence in that state.  
  • Today, they reversed that decision
  • What does that mean?
  • Well, it means that you state will undoubtedly begin forcing online retailers to charge you sales tax on all your online orders.  
  • If you have a big purchase to make, I’d do it this summer.  
 
On The Sad State of Macintosh Hardware
  • Rogue Amoeba developer Quentin Carnicelli posted this week on the company’s blog about his frustration with Apple’s continued neglect of the Mac.
  • "At the time of the writing, with the exception of the $5,000 iMac Pro, no Macintosh has been updated at all in the past year.”
 
Instagram takes on YouTube with new IGTV app
  • The photo-sharing social network revealed its new standalone app today called IGTV that’s dedicated to long-form video.
  • IGTV was revealed at an event today this morning where the company also shared that it now has 1 billion monthly active users.
 
MoviePass is going to introduce surge pricing on popular movies by July
  • By the end of the summer, you'll see some major changes to your MoviePass subscription — and you're not going to like them all.
  • MoviePass told Business Insider that by August members of the service would be able to add a friend when buying tickets through the app and would have the option, at an added price, to order tickets to Imax and Real 3D movies.
  • The first change to the service will happen in the coming weeks, when MoviePass will start charging members what CEO Mitch Lowe calls "high demand" pricing.
  • CEO Mitch Lowe: "At certain times for certain films — on opening weekend — there could be an additional charge for films"
  • The added charge will start at $2 for titles the app deems very popular with MoviePass subscribers
 
AMC is launching a MoviePass-like subscription service
  • The largest theater chain in America has announced that it will now offer a subscription service that allows patrons to watch up to three movies a week for $19.95 a month.
  • Called AMC Stubs A-List the online and smartphone-based subscription will allow members to watch multiple movies a day and let you see movies more than once.
  • There will be no online ticketing fees, and it will offer a discount on food and drinks at the concession stand. Plus Stubs A-List will be redeemable toward formats like IMAX and 3D and will also include special AMC locations such as Dine-Ins.
  • The service will allow you to make up to three movie reservations at once in advance without having to physically be at the theater