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This week: revamped iPads coming this spring; Apple lays the groundwork for the next era of personal technology; how smart homes get hacked; Google’s Pixel phone vs. iPhone 7; and we reveal our favorite new iOS and Mac apps!   This episode supported by   Build a beautiful, responsive website quick at Squarespace.com.  Enter offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off. Squarespace—Build it Beautiful. Easiest   Casper’s American-made mattresses have just the right amount of memory foam and latex, and people everywhere love them.  Learn why at Casper.com/cultcast and get $50 towards any mattress with code "CultCast".   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   Intro - Do you even scan, bro? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRRHHqY7RwE   We’re glad to see they’re putting them to good use https://www.instagram.com/p/BLOEKS7j9gw/   Replacement Galaxy Note 7 catches fire on a plane http://www.cultofmac.com/448043/replacement-galaxy-note-7-catches-fire-plane/

• Southwest Airlines was forced to evacuate a flight from Louisville to Baltimore this morning before it hit the runway, thanks to a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone that caught fire.
• The owner of the Galaxy Note 7 said he got the new phone on September 21st at an AT&T store. Before the flight left the gate, the owner says he powered it down and put it in his pocket when it started smoking.
• Thick grey-green smoke poured out of the device after the owner dropped it on the floor. In a matter of moments it had burned through the plane’s carpet.
• “All passengers and crew exited the plane via the main cabin door and no injuries were reported,”

    With new hardware trio, Google makes major play for your home http://www.cultofmac.com/447847/new-hardware-trio-google-makes-major-play-home/

• During an event in San Francisco today, Google unveiled a new Wi-Fi router, an improved Chromecast with 4K support, and a new Google Home device that’s a lot like Amazon’s Echo smart speaker, only it’s powered by Google Assistant.
• Google Home allows owners to use voice commands to do stuff like play music on YouTube, Google Play Music or Spotify. You can also ask Google Home to play podcasts or news feeds.

  AirPods point to Apple’s domination of ‘ambient paradigm’