Basic AF: a (mostly) tech podcast

iPhone 18 Pro and Apple Watch Ultra 4: One Week In

If you're holding an iPhone or Apple Watch that's a few years old and wondering whether this is the year to upgrade, this one's for you. Jeff went from an iPhone 15 Pro Max to the 18 Pro, and Tom finally retired his original Apple Watch Ultra for the Ultra 4. After a week of living with both, one of them calls his new gadget "just a phone" and the other got a bigger surprise than he expected. Plus, how the AppleCare One Family plan now covers 20 of Tom's devices for less than he was paying before. In this episode: Why Jeff went back to the smaller Pro, and the Burgundy finish Variable aperture, five zoom levels, and the new Photographic Styles Siri AI: better for Tom, still "I can't do that" for Jeff Ultra 4 battery: two days on a charge with everything turned on Double tap by accident, the wrist flick, and Readiness after seven nights AppleCare One Family: 20 devices, $50 a month, and the fine print Trade-in values: $455 for the phone, $190 for the watch Links from the show: iPhone 18 Pro: https://www.apple.com/iphone-18-pro/ Apple Watch Ultra 4: https://www.apple.com/watch/ AppleCare One Family details: https://support.apple.com/en-us/148275 Every Apple Watch Ultra compared: https://www.macobserver.com/tips/round-ups/every-apple-watch-ultra-compared/ Tyler Stalman: https://www.youtube.com/@stalman iPhone 18 Pro Camera Review: Dunton, Colorado: https://www.austinmann.com/trek/iphone-18-pro-camera-review-dunton Mac Power Users: https://relay.fm/mpu Question or Comment? Send us a Text Message! Support the show Contact Us Drop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.com You’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social on Bluesky Find Tom at @tomanderson on Threads Join Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk, for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks. Tom has a new YouTube channel Show artwork by the great Randall Martin Design Enjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating! Review on Apple Podcasts Rate on Spotify Recommend in Overcast Intro Music: Psychokinetics - The Chosen Apple Music Spotify Transcripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.

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Apple Event Recap: iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro/Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, and more with Joe Moyer

Apple finally showed the folding iPhone, and it arrived with a $1,999 starting price and a lot of great and interesting features. Tom and Jeff bring Joe Moyer back to walk the whole event: the iPhone Duo, the 18 Pro and Pro Max, new AirPods, and Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4. One of us pre-ordered before recording. One of us is quietly doing the math on owning two phones at once. In this episode: John Ternus hosts his first event as CEO iPhone Duo: 5.4-inch outer screen, 7.6-inch inside, Touch ID, Apple Pencil support What the Duo leaves out: telephoto, Face ID, action button, ProRAW Duo pricing from $1,999 to $3,199, orders Oct 16, delivery Oct 23 iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: variable aperture, 8x telephoto, vapor chamber, A20 New AirPods keep the same price and add noise cancellation to the base model Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4: new sensors, readiness, health age, 50-hour battery Audio Intelligence on the Watch, and where the privacy line sits now Live immersive MLB games on Vision Pro The OS 27 updates are here More from Joe Moyer: Website: https://www.24letters.net/ The Journaling Guide newsletter, plus a free 10-day journaling challenge: https://thejournalingguide.com/ Threads: @thejournalingguide Links from the show: iPhone Duo: https://www.apple.com/iphone-duo/ iPhone 18 Pro: https://www.apple.com/iphone-18-pro/ Apple Watch Series 12: https://www.apple.com/apple-watch-series-12/ Apple Watch Ultra 4: https://www.apple.com/apple-watch-ultra-4/ Audio Intelligence privacy paper: https://www.apple.com/privacy/docs/Audio_Intelligence_Privacy_Overview_Sep_2026.pdf Halide: https://halide.cam/ Gentler Streak: https://gentlerstories.com/ Athlytic: https://athlyticapp.com/ Kalri$$ian "The Falcon" (NSFW) Celsius 7 "Manners" (NSFW) Question or Comment? Send us a Text Message! Support the show Contact Us Drop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.com You’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social on Bluesky Find Tom at @tomanderson on Threads Join Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk, for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks. Tom has a new YouTube channel Show artwork by the great Randall Martin Design Enjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating! Review on Apple Podcasts Rate on Spotify Recommend in Overcast Intro Music: Psychokinetics - The Chosen Apple Music Spotify Transcripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.

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Apple's iPhone Event is Set, and New Mac mini and Mac Studio Models

Apple just locked in a date for the big iPhone event, and new Mac mini and Mac Studio models landed early with a price jump that'll make your eyes water. Tom and Jeff run the actual numbers on both new Macs, weigh in on the iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max, and the long-rumored foldable, and swap notes on cameras, Face ID quirks, and an update on Tom's new notebook habit. In this episode: Apple's iPhone event is officially set for September 9 New Mac mini and Mac Studio pricing and specs, and why they cost so much more now What a fully maxed-out Mac mini and Mac Studio actually run you iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max, and the foldable iPhone, and what it might cost Camera lens talk and Halide's new "film types" Face ID vs. Touch ID, and Jeff's post-stroke Face ID quirks Tom's notebook and habit-tracker update, plus a Lochby Field Folio gift for his son Links from the show: Mac mini: https://www.apple.com/mac-mini/ Mac Studio: https://www.apple.com/mac-studio/ Halide: https://halide.cam/ Lochby Field Folio A5: https://www.lochby.com/products/field-folio-a5 Lochby Pocket Journal: https://www.lochby.com/products/pocket-journal Field Notes: https://fieldnotesbrand.com/ Question or Comment? Send us a Text Message! Support the show Contact Us Drop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.com You’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social on Bluesky Find Tom at @tomanderson on Threads Join Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk, for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks. Tom has a new YouTube channel Show artwork by the great Randall Martin Design Enjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating! Review on Apple Podcasts Rate on Spotify Recommend in Overcast Intro Music: Psychokinetics - The Chosen Apple Music Spotify Transcripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.

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Ditching the Phone for Field Notes (and a Tiny E-Reader)

What do you actually do with a stack of pocket notebooks once you own more than you'll ever fill? Tom's been figuring that out for six months, and it turned into an actual system: a custom monthly and weekly planner, daily notes, and a pocket journal that's his new daily carry wallet. Jeff's carried notebooks for decades and joins in with his own habits, plus a magnetic pocket e-reader that's small enough to attach to the back of your iPhone. In this episode: Tom's Field Notes habit, $120 a year and three quarterly drops in: the 1943 set, Explore America, and the penny-themed one that didn't quite land Trading phone pickups for a slower kind of capture, and why that's the actual point The weekly planner Tom sketched himself, plus the accidental discovery that a scanned Field Notes fits a 13" iPad to scale Lochby Pocket Journal: the wax-canvas cover doing double duty as Tom's new wallet Jeff's leather notebook cover, reserved for exactly one thing: his bitters recipes The eventual plan for filled notebooks: scan everything into Craft so it's searchable The Xteink X3, Jeff's tiny magnetic e-reader that snaps onto the back of an iPhone Links from the show: Field Notes Field Notes "1943" Edition Field Notes Explore America Lochby Pocket Journal GoodNotes Carsonial's weekly planner layout video Cal Newport, "Forget Your Phone. You Need a Single-Purpose Notebook" Xteink X3 Question or Comment? Send us a Text Message! Support the show Contact Us Drop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.com You’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social on Bluesky Find Tom at @tomanderson on Threads Join Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk, for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks. Tom has a new YouTube channel Show artwork by the great Randall Martin Design Enjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating! Review on Apple Podcasts Rate on Spotify Recommend in Overcast Intro Music: Psychokinetics - The Chosen Apple Music Spotify Transcripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.

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Samsung Galaxy Fold8 Hands-On and Apple's New Upgrade Program

Tom got five minutes with Samsung's new Galaxy Z Fold8 this week, and it's got him thinking about what Apple's own foldable might feel like this fall. Then Jeff works through Apple's new Klarna-backed leasing program, replacing the old iPhone Upgrade Program, and why the fine print has him uneasy. In this episode: Tom's hands-on take on the Galaxy Z Fold8: build quality, weight, crease, multitasking, pricing ($1,899–$2,499) What the Fold8 previews for Apple's rumored iPhone Fold (expected ~September 2026, Touch ID instead of Face ID, no visible crease, likely $2,000+) Apple's new Upgrade program with Klarna replaces the iPhone Upgrade Program — lease terms, AppleCare+ no longer bundled, what happens if you don't act at lease-end Why the Klarna partnership has Jeff feeling icky about where Apple's headed A wild AI story: Anthropic's Claude models broke out of a sandboxed test and hacked three real organizations A quick tribute to John C. Dvorak, longtime tech columnist and No Agenda co-host, who passed away this month Links from the show: Galaxy Z Fold8 specs & pricing MKBHD's Galaxy Z Fold8 review MrMobile: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Review: Worth The Camera Compromise Apple Upgrade program announcement Apple Upgrade breakdown (MacRumors) Anthropic's AI hacking disclosure (WaPo) Hugging Face Cory Doctorow on The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart Benedict Evans' newsletter Halide camera app Question or Comment? Send us a Text Message! Support the show Contact Us Drop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.com You’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social on Bluesky Find Tom at @tomanderson on Threads Join Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk, for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks. Tom has a new YouTube channel Show artwork by the great Randall Martin Design Enjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating! Review on Apple Podcasts Rate on Spotify Recommend in Overcast Intro Music: Psychokinetics - The Chosen Apple Music Spotify Transcripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.

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Is Siri Finally Fixed? We Put Apple’s New Siri AI to the Test

The public betas for iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, and watchOS 27 landed this week, and Tom and Jeff have been putting them through their paces on phones, watches, iPads, and a Mac. This episode covers what's actually different, under-the-hood polish, and the one feature everyone's been waiting years for: a Siri that finally seems to understand your life. Topics covered: First impressions across devices, plus early battery life quirks on watch and phone Liquid Glass refinements and a smarter notch-aware menu bar on macOS Spotlight opening iPhone-only apps remotely from your Mac CarPlay upgrades: three rows of icons are back, plus navigation volume oddities The big one: the new Siri actually pulling real context from email, calendar, and third-party accounts Real examples — catching a bank fraud alert, scheduling car service, recapping a live product announcement, even sketching out a Shortcut Beta-testing do's and don'ts: what to install where, filing feedback, backing up first A timeline for when these releases arrive (hint: mid-September) Question or Comment? Send us a Text Message! Support the show Contact Us Drop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.com You’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social on Bluesky Find Tom at @tomanderson on Threads Join Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk, for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks. Tom has a new YouTube channel Show artwork by the great Randall Martin Design Enjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating! Review on Apple Podcasts Rate on Spotify Recommend in Overcast Intro Music: Psychokinetics - The Chosen Apple Music Spotify Transcripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.

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The Podcast App That’s Changing How We Learn | Kevin Smith (Co-Founder of Snipd)

You love podcasts. You're always hearing something worth remembering. And then... you forget it. Sound familiar? Tom and Jeff sit down with Kevin Smith, co-founder of Snipd — the AI-powered podcast app designed to solve exactly that problem. Kevin shares the story behind Snipd, from riding his bike to work in Zurich and frantically stopping to write notes, to building an app that captures great moments automatically. Want to try the app? Kevin provided listeners of the show a free one-month Snipd Premium trial: https://link.snipd.com/Cx7S/basicaf Topics covered: How Kevin went from quantitative finance to AI engineering — and why machine learning grabbed him the way it did The origin story of Snipd: a personal frustration turned into a full-featured podcast app How the core "snipping" feature works — tap your headphones, and the AI saves the audio clip, transcript, and a generated note automatically The new Snipd DJ feature (currently in beta), which distills long episodes down to the 20–25% most relevant moments — with an AI "moderator" to guide you through them How Snipd connects with apps like Readwise for a personal knowledge management workflow The "chat with episode" feature, auto-generated chapters, book mentions, and speaker identification Why Snipd is unapologetically built for knowledge-rich podcasts — and why that focus is a strength Listener offer: Kevin is providing a free one-month trial of Snipd Premium — link in the show notes! Links from the show: Snipd: snipd.com — also available in the App Store and Google Play (search "Snipd") Kevin on X/Twitter: @KevinBenSmith Free one-month Snipd Premium trial: https://link.snipd.com/Cx7S/basicaf Question or Comment? Send us a Text Message! Support the show Contact Us Drop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.com You’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social on Bluesky Find Tom at @tomanderson on Threads Join Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk, for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks. Tom has a new YouTube channel Show artwork by the great Randall Martin Design Enjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating! Review on Apple Podcasts Rate on Spotify Recommend in Overcast Intro Music: Psychokinetics - The Chosen Apple Music Spotify Transcripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.

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Simple, Effective Ways to Use Apple Reminders with Robin Kai

Robin Kai, based in Munich, Germany, is a husband, dad, and writer on Medium and at ForMacUsers.com. He's built a simple, flexible system around Apple's built-in apps that actually fits real life: family, day job, and side projects. In this episode, Robin walks us through how he captures tasks without thinking about it, organizes them into a structure that doesn't require daily upkeep, and builds a custom "today" view that shows exactly what matters — without the noise. Topics covered: Why Robin left third-party apps like Remember the Milk and Wunderlist behind His inbox-first capture method and weekly Friday review How he uses folders (groups) in Reminders to separate work, side hustle, and family The "Your Day" and "Growth" smart list setup for a cleaner today view Month → Week → Priorities planning cadence Connecting Reminders to Notes for project context What Robin is most excited about from WWDC 2026: AI-powered Shortcuts and Safari improvements Tom's own journey from Evernote + OmniFocus to Craft tasks Links from the show: Robin on Threads: https://www.threads.com/@robinsanahkai ForMacUsers.com: https://www.formacusers.com/ Robin's Apple Reminders guide on Medium: https://medium.com/macoclock/apple-reminders-full-setup-deb28e755eb6?sk=21ab358dbf39f28ed90133d706fb7cf5 Stories from Ukraine: The True Price of War: https://a.co/d/0gu6KDAl Question or Comment? Send us a Text Message! Support the show Contact Us Drop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.com You’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social on Bluesky Find Tom at @tomanderson on Threads Join Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk, for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks. Tom has a new YouTube channel Show artwork by the great Randall Martin Design Enjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating! Review on Apple Podcasts Rate on Spotify Recommend in Overcast Intro Music: Psychokinetics - The Chosen Apple Music Spotify Transcripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.

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WWDC 2026 Keynote Recap with Riley Hill and Joe Moyer

Tom and Jeff are joined by returning guests Riley Hill (Slatepad.org) and Joe Moyer (24letters.net) for a full roundtable on what Apple announced during the WWDC keynote and what it means for everyday users. Topics covered: The three pillars of WWDC 2026: performance improvements, trust & safety, and Apple Intelligence/Siri AI Why this keynote felt like Apple's "Snow Leopard" moment — focusing on performance and stability Siri AI: the personal context features Apple promised two years ago… that may actually work now The Gemini partnership and what Apple's privacy promises mean in practice New Photos features, Image Playground upgrades, and the philosophical question: "what even is a photo anymore?" Safari custom extensions built by Siri — Riley tried it live on the dev beta AI-powered Shortcuts: promising, half-working, and full of potential Parental controls overhaul and why it still needs a centralized management solution Which devices get left behind — iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Watch compatibility breakdowns Tim Cook's farewell WWDC keynote Links from the show: Riley Hill: slatepad.org Joe Moyer: 24letters.net (and The Journaling Guide newsletter) Support the show: basicafshow.com Question or Comment? Send us a Text Message! Support the show Contact Us Drop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.com You’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social on Bluesky Find Tom at @tomanderson on Threads Join Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk, for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks. Tom has a new YouTube channel Show artwork by the great Randall Martin Design Enjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating! Review on Apple Podcasts Rate on Spotify Recommend in Overcast Intro Music: Psychokinetics - The Chosen Apple Music Spotify Transcripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.

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MacBook Air M5 (13" & 15") First Impressions, iPhone 17 Pro MLS Event, KC Public Schools Go Apple

Both of us did something a little unusual this month: we both walked away with the MacBook Air M5. Tom grabbed the 15-inch for work, Jeff picked up the Midnight Blue 13-inch — and after a couple weeks of use, we've got a lot to say about battery life, setup philosophy, and one genuinely weird bug. This week we cover: Jeff's "only install what you actually need" setup approach — and why it's working brilliantly Tom's mysterious MacBook Air lockup issue, and the macOS 26.4 bug that turned out to be the culprit Jeff's Studio Display needed a reset — turns out it runs a full iOS-based OS, and a simple unplug trick fixes a lot The Canvas (not Canva!) ransomware hack that hit 9,000+ schools right during finals week Apple shoots a live MLS game entirely on iPhone 17 Pro — sports history, or marketing stunt? Apple Card's "free" AirPods Pro 3 promo: the catch hiding in the fine print Kansas City Public Schools replacing 30,000 Windows PCs and Chromebooks with Apple devices Apple Sports app now covers the World Cup Field Notes Explore America notebooks: Tom has a new problem Links from the show: Buy Jeff's MacBook Pro M2: https://swappa.com/listing/view/LAFC35203 Field Notes Explore America: fieldnotesbrand.com/products/explore-america Apple TV + iPhone 17 Pro MLS broadcast: apple.com/newsroom Sign up for Tom's newsletter: tomfanderson.com Question or Comment? Send us a Text Message! Support the show Contact Us Drop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.com You’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social on Bluesky Find Tom at @tomanderson on Threads Join Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk, for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks. Tom has a new YouTube channel Show artwork by the great Randall Martin Design Enjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating! Review on Apple Podcasts Rate on Spotify Recommend in Overcast Intro Music: Psychokinetics - The Chosen Apple Music Spotify Transcripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.

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Mac Mini Gets Pricier, Siri Payout, and iOS 27 Rumors

There's a lot happening in Apple land right now. Mac mini prices just went up, a Siri class action settlement might land in your inbox soon, and a fresh iOS 27 rumor has some good news for anyone who'd rather talk to Claude than ChatGPT. Tom and Jeff break it all down. In this episode: Apple Notes tips: how search really works, Smart Folders, and ProNotes — a free plugin that brings markdown and slash commands to the Notes app Mac mini's base model is gone — the entry price jumps to $799, and Tim Cook says supply constraints won't recover for several months Apple Education Store now requires UNiDAYS verification, and Apple Watch just joined the discount program iOS 27 rumor: you may soon choose Claude or Gemini as your Apple Intelligence AI instead of ChatGPT Apple's $250M Siri lawsuit settlement — if you own an iPhone 15 Pro or 16 series, you might be owed $25–$95 M5 MacBook Air first impressions: Jeff's testing one alongside his MacBook Pro — and Tom's university just ordered 100 of them Links from the show: Apple Notes: Four Tips That Make Finding Things Effortless Four Fast Ways to Capture to Apple Notes ProNotes (free Apple Notes plugin) Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor Playworld by Adam Ross We'd be honored if you'd drop a 5-star rating for us on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify! Question or Comment? Send us a Text Message! Support the show Contact Us Drop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.com You’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social on Bluesky Find Tom at @tomanderson on Threads Join Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk, for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks. Tom has a new YouTube channel Show artwork by the great Randall Martin Design Enjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating! Review on Apple Podcasts Rate on Spotify Recommend in Overcast Intro Music: Psychokinetics - The Chosen Apple Music Spotify Transcripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.

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AI Tools: What's Actually Working (and What Isn't) with Bill McLean

Big news out of Cupertino: Tim Cook is stepping down as CEO, with hardware engineering chief John Ternus set to take the helm this September. Tom and Jeff spend a few minutes on the transition — then welcome back guest Bill McLean for an honest, no-hype check-in on AI tools: what they're actually using, what's working, and where the marketing is writing checks the technology can't cash. In this episode: The Tim Cook → John Ternus CEO handoff and what a hardware guy at the top might mean for Apple's software Which AI platforms Tom and Bill settled on, and why ChatGPT got dropped Claude Co-Work in real life: web scraping, YouTube analytics, and why you still have to babysit it The "dopamine hit" problem: why AI-generated ideas can kill your motivation to actually do the work How Bill replaced his Squarespace subscription using Claude Code with zero coding background Why context might be AI's real superpower and why Apple could have the biggest edge MCP integrations worth building: Readwise, Craft, Apple Reminders Why Claude projects and skills outperformed an Obsidian vault for real workflow results A must-read New Yorker profile on Sam Altman Links from the show: Bill McLean on YouTube: youtube.com/@BillMcLean Sam Altman May Control Our Future—Can He Be Trusted? - The New Yorker Question or Comment? Send us a Text Message! Support the show Contact Us Drop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.com You’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social on Bluesky Find Tom at @tomanderson on Threads Join Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk, for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks. Tom has a new YouTube channel Show artwork by the great Randall Martin Design Enjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating! Review on Apple Podcasts Rate on Spotify Recommend in Overcast Intro Music: Psychokinetics - The Chosen Apple Music Spotify Transcripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.

Mac Mini & Mac Studio Shortages, Kindle Cutoffs & Four Things Worth Knowing About iOS 26.4

Tom and Jeff dig into why it's getting harder and harder to buy a Mac mini or Mac Studio in anything beyond a base configuration — and what that might mean about upcoming M5 refreshes. Plus, Jeff gives a six-month health update (he's at 92% and back on stage), and the guys get into a friendly debate about Amazon pulling the plug on pre-2012 Kindles. Is it reasonable after 14 years, or does it prove physical books always win? And they wrap up with four things to know about iOS 26.4. Topics covered: Mac mini and Mac Studio availability issues and what's behind the long wait times MacBook Neo demand and Bill McLean's hands-on review Jeff's updated take on the BookTracker app Amazon deprecating pre-2012 Kindles — and what it means for your digital library The Libby app and library cards for free books Merriam-Webster's Visual Dictionary (Jeff's new obsession) iOS 26.4: keyboard accuracy improvements, Urgent Reminders update, Stolen Device Protection, and AI apps in CarPlay Resetting your keyboard dictionary after updating Links from the show: BookTracker app: https://booktrack.app Libby app: https://libbyapp.com Bill McLean's MacBook Neo review Apple Talk newsletter (keyboard reset tip): https://www.tomfanderson.com/p/ios-26-4-iphone-keyboard-fix Merriam-Webster's Visual Dictionary We’d be honored if you'd drop a 5-star rating for us on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify! Question or Comment? Send us a Text Message! Support the show Contact Us Drop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.com You’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social on Bluesky Find Tom at @tomanderson on Threads Join Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk, for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks. Tom has a new YouTube channel Show artwork by the great Randall Martin Design Enjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating! Review on Apple Podcasts Rate on Spotify Recommend in Overcast Intro Music: Psychokinetics - The Chosen Apple Music Spotify Transcripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.

MacBook Neo Real-World Review with Nate Gorby

Nate Gorby is back — and this time he's got two weeks of daily MacBook Neo use to report on. Coming from an M2 MacBook Air he'd already sold, Nate picked up the Neo on day one and has been using it the way most people actually use computers: browsing, email, watching YouTube, light social media, and a bit of writing. No benchmarks, no synthetic tests — just honest, real-world impressions. The guys dig into the details: battery life, the lack of MagSafe and Touch ID, the physical trackpad experience, speaker quality, the color-matched interface quirks, and whether 8GB of RAM is actually fine (spoiler: it is). They also cover WWDC 2026 dates, the 26.4 updates, and Apple's decision to discontinue the Mac Pro. In this episode: Nate's daily use case: browsing, YouTube, Threads, light writing, some photo editing The physical trackpad vs. the haptic trackpad on his wife's M4 MacBook Air Living without Touch ID and why Apple Watch makes it a non-issue (mostly) No backlit keyboard: why the Citrus color's white keys are a natural workaround Battery life: good enough? Why 8GB of RAM is genuinely fine MagSafe as the one real missing piece Target now selling the MacBook Neo — and what that means for reaching new Mac buyers The education discount trick (you didn't hear it from them) Speaker quality: surprisingly good for spoken word WWDC 26 announced 26.4 updates now available — keyboard improvements for iPhone Mac Pro discontinued; the Mac Studio is now the top of the line Links from the show: Nate's previous episode (Meta Ray-Ban glasses) Apple Announces WWDC 2026 Dates More from Nate: Last Month Online https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/last-month-online/id1824514139 Nate on Threads: https://www.threads.com/@ngorby Nate on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ngorby Question or Comment? Send us a Text Message! Support the show Contact Us Drop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.com You’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social on Bluesky Find Tom at @tomanderson on Threads Join Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk, for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks. Tom has a new YouTube channel Show artwork by the great Randall Martin Design Enjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating! Review on Apple Podcasts Rate on Spotify Recommend in Overcast Intro Music: Psychokinetics - The Chosen Apple Music Spotify Transcripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.

MacBook Neo, Apple’s First 50 Years, and the Weirdest Wearable Yet

Tom and Jeff are back with a packed episode that wanders from Apple hardware to Apple history to Apple TV+ sports to, well, a scientific fart study. If that sounds like a lot, it is. Topics covered this episode: MacBook Neo hands-on — Tom got a brief look at the new $599 MacBook Neo at an IT conference. Build quality impressions, the Indigo color, and why the "it's just an iPhone chip" skepticism sounds a lot like what people said about the original M1 with 8GB of RAM. (Spoiler: they were wrong then too.) David Pogue's Apple: The First 50 Years — Tom pre-ordered it, it arrived while he was out of town, and he's had exactly 15 minutes with it. It's a 600-page textbook-style history (not a glossy coffee table book), and he's planning a more thorough read over the summer. A history tangent worth taking — The origin story of the PowerBook's palm rest design — and how one engineer's persistence against resistance accidentally shaped every laptop keyboard layout that followed. Jeff discovers F1 — Apple TV+ now carries every F1 race, and Jeff is in. The tech angle (real-time telemetry, PlayStation-style steering wheels, hybrid power transitions) makes it surprisingly interesting. The Human Flatus Atlas — Jeff has enrolled in a legitimate University of Maryland research study on human flatulence. Smart underwear device incoming. Butt tag update promised for next episode. Links from the show Tom’s Photos of the MacBook Neo Apple: The First 50 Years – David Pogue Human Flatus Atlas Project F1 on Apple TV+ Question or Comment? Send us a Text Message! Support the show Contact Us Drop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.com You’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social on Bluesky Find Tom at @tomanderson on Threads Join Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk, for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks. Tom has a new YouTube channel Show artwork by the great Randall Martin Design Enjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating! Review on Apple Podcasts Rate on Spotify Recommend in Overcast Intro Music: Psychokinetics - The Chosen Apple Music Spotify Transcripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.

A Budget MacBook, iPad Updates & Going Analog with Field Notes

Apple's dropping a wave of new products this week — and Tom and Jeff break down everything that's expected: a budget MacBook starting around $600, an iPhone 16E follow-up, iPad updates for the non-Pro models, and possible MacBook Pro upgrades with M5 Pro and Max chips. It's a preview packed with speculation, opinions, and the occasional tangent about fingerprints on laptop screens. Then things get analog. Tom just joined Jeff in the Field Notes notebook club, and they talk about why a pocket-sized paper notebook has become a surprisingly useful tool alongside all the digital gear. They also cover two weather apps worth knowing about — Acme Weather (from the Dark Sky team) and what's new in Carrot Weather 6.4. Enjoy the show? Please drop a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify! Links from the show: Field Notes notebooks & subscription: https://fieldnotesbrand.com Acme Weather app: https://acmeweather.com Carrot Weather: https://www.meetcarrot.com/weather/ Is Apple Notes Holding You Back? (Press Pause with Bill McLean, featuring Tom) GoFundMe for Aliyah (Jeff's bartender friend who lost everything in an apartment fire) Question or Comment? Send us a Text Message! Support the show Contact Us Drop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.com You’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social on Bluesky Find Tom at @tomanderson on Threads Join Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk, for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks. Tom has a new YouTube channel Show artwork by the great Randall Martin Design Enjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating! Review on Apple Podcasts Rate on Spotify Recommend in Overcast Intro Music: Psychokinetics - The Chosen Apple Music Spotify Transcripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.

Siri Delayed Again — And a Ray-Ban Meta Glasses Review with Nate Gorby

Tom flies solo this week and welcomes first-time guest Nate Gorby for a conversation about Apple’s ongoing Siri delays, the state of Apple Intelligence, and what it all means for everyday users. They discuss the latest report that Apple’s context-aware Siri may be pushed back again, whether privacy is helping or hurting Apple’s AI progress, and why even basic Siri tasks still frustrate longtime users. In the second half, Nate shares his real-world experience using Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses for the past year — what works surprisingly well, where privacy concerns come in, and whether Apple needs to move faster in the wearable AI space. More from Nate: Nate's podcast: Last Month Online https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/last-month-online/id1824514139 Nate on Threads: https://www.threads.com/@ngorby Nate on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ngorby Question or Comment? Send us a Text Message! Support the show Contact Us Drop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.com You’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social on Bluesky Find Tom at @tomanderson on Threads Join Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk, for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks. Tom has a new YouTube channel Show artwork by the great Randall Martin Design Enjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating! Review on Apple Podcasts Rate on Spotify Recommend in Overcast Intro Music: Psychokinetics - The Chosen Apple Music Spotify Transcripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.

When You Should (and Shouldn’t) Switch Productivity Apps with Jim Eagar

Jim Eagar joins Tom Anderson and Jeff Battersby for a thoughtful, experience-driven conversation about productivity, tools, and the often-tempting urge to switch apps. Drawing on decades of professional experience—from Air Force chaplain to attorney to productivity writer—Jim shares how his workflows evolved alongside Apple technology, why “shiny new app syndrome” can quietly sabotage real work, and how to evaluate whether switching tools is actually worth the cost. The discussion digs into intentional productivity, app minimalism, and using frameworks (not rules) to make better decisions about software—especially in an era overflowing with AI tools. Jim also walks through his personal writing and planning stack, explains why he recently switched from ChatGPT to Claude, and shares David Sparks’ advice on limiting major app changes to once per year. The result is a grounded, reassuring episode for anyone feeling overwhelmed by productivity tools—and a reminder that clarity beats novelty every time. More from Jim: Original Mac Guy Retirement Reinvented! Links from the show: A Very Nerdy Christmas: Evaluate Your Tech Stack Why I Quit Paid Apps MacSparky Question or Comment? Send us a Text Message! Support the show Contact Us Drop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.com You’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social on Bluesky Find Tom at @tomanderson on Threads Join Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk, for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks. Tom has a new YouTube channel Show artwork by the great Randall Martin Design Enjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating! Review on Apple Podcasts Rate on Spotify Recommend in Overcast Intro Music: Psychokinetics - The Chosen Apple Music Spotify Transcripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.

Apple Teams Up With Google (Again) & A Look at Apple Creator Studio

In this episode of Basic AF, Tom Anderson and Jeff Battersby kick off the year by digging into some of the biggest Apple stories in early 2026—starting with the news that Apple is partnering with Google to have Gemini power a revamped Siri and Apple Intelligence. The discussion looks at how Gemini might be integrated behind the scenes, and whether Apple’s privacy promises can hold up when Google enters the equation. The conversation then turns to Apple Creator Studio, Apple’s new subscription bundle that includes Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, and other creative tools. Tom and Jeff debate who this bundle is really for, how it compares to Apple’s older one-time purchase model, and whether subscription fatigue is simply the cost of modern software. From there, they break down Apple’s controversial new app icons and macOS Tahoe design changes, followed by concerns over App Store ads becoming harder to distinguish from real search results. The episode wraps with a broader look at Apple’s record-breaking services revenue and what it signals about the company’s priorities moving forward. Links from the show: Google and Apple issue joint partnership statement Report: Google Gemini will expand Siri’s capabilities Report: Apple will fine-tune Gemini independently Apple confirms Google Gemini will power new Siri features Apple announces Apple Creator Studio Apple reports record-breaking Services revenue in 2025 Question or Comment? Send us a Text Message! Support the show Contact Us Drop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.com You’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social on Bluesky Find Tom at @tomanderson on Threads Join Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk, for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks. Tom has a new YouTube channel Show artwork by the great Randall Martin Design Enjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating! Review on Apple Podcasts Rate on Spotify Recommend in Overcast Intro Music: Psychokinetics - The Chosen Apple Music Spotify Transcripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.

The Latest iPhone Fold Rumors and a Fix (of sorts) for Poor Battery Life in iOS 26

Happy New Year! Everyone expects Apple to release its first foldable iPhone later this year and the rumors and “leaks” are heating up. Tom and Jeff discuss the latest, including the 3D printed model that looks nothing like current iPhones. Plus, Tom decided to reset his iPhone in an attempt to resolve the ongoing battery life issues he’s been having with iOS 26. Apple’s made a lot of improvements to the process, but it’s not quite perfect and he shares what worked well and what still needs some work. Links from the show: Support Jeff Battersby’s Stroke Recovery Apple Pencil Could Work With iPhone Fold, According to New Report iPhone Fold 1:1 Replica With Folding Hinge (3D Model) How to factory reset your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch Clicks Power Keyboard Question or Comment? Send us a Text Message! Support the show Contact Us Drop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.com You’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social on Bluesky Find Tom at @tomanderson on Threads Join Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk, for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks. Tom has a new YouTube channel Show artwork by the great Randall Martin Design Enjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating! Review on Apple Podcasts Rate on Spotify Recommend in Overcast Intro Music: Psychokinetics - The Chosen Apple Music Spotify Transcripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.