Top Five Tech

Stephen Robles

Get my top five picks of the week with something to watch, listen, read, download, and a deep thought all about tech! Delivered every Friday, by Stephen Robles.

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#26
Friday · 8 min
The Real Danger of AI Agents, 3 Free Apps for Creators, Muse Mixed Bag
Kurzgesagt explains how AI models broke containment and hacked Hugging Face, my interview on going independent, three free Mac apps I built this week, a clever iOS 27 Shortcuts launcher, and Alexandr Wang on Meta’s Muse agent. Get the Newsletter AI Just Became Humanity’s Biggest Threat — Kurzgesagt He Left Riverside With No Safety Net — One Year Later, This Happened with Stephen Robles Leveler, Transcriber, and Captioner — beardfm.app SumClip — The Clipboard That Counts Deflector Turns iOS 27 Notification Triggers into a Shortcut Launcher — MacStories The Biggest Launch Since ChatGPT (Muse) — Cleo Abram
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#25
October 2 · 8 min
YouTube's A/B Problem, Zuck on Muse and Glasses, Bill Gates on AI
Craig Federighi goes in-depth on iPhone Duo, Joanna Stern questions Zuckerberg on AI and glasses, Bill Gates's blunt AI warning, Ron Johnson on building the Apple Store, a better Nextdoor, two great free apps, and MKBHD on YouTube's coming video A/B tests. Get the Newsletter I Asked Craig Federighi Why iPhone Still Can't Swipe Back from the Right — Donald Decodes Mark Zuckerberg on Muse, Audio-Only Glasses and Killer AI — Joanna Stern Bill Gates's Blunt Warning on A.I. — The Ezra Klein Show (00:43) Ron Johnson on Letting the Best Ideas Win — Creative Effort (01:43) Roadrunner: Your Neighborhood's Bulletin Board The AI Industry Has a Jurassic Park Problem — Inc. (02:55) Ensemble: Music Player (03:11) Get in Losers, We're Ditching Raycast Hyperkey — The Extra macOS Modifier Key Dear YouTube! — Marques Brownlee
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#24
September 25 · 7 min
iPhone Duo Hands-On, Meta's Muse AI Has a Problem, Inside Star Wars
Tom at Byte Review goes hands-on with the iPhone Duo, a rare look back at Apple's Antennagate Q&A, Jason's warning about Meta's Muse AI, a handy AI prompt app from Parker Ortolani, and why the AI warnings are worth hearing out. Get the Newsletter I Tried the iPhone Duo. I Get It Now — Byte Review Apple iPhone 4 "Antennagate" Q&A — Steve Jobs, Tim Cook & Bob Mansfield Inside Star Wars: Two Suns Setting (01:32) Inside Jaws (01:50) Meta's New Muse AI Agent Read My Private Messages. I Never Asked It To — Inc. (02:10) Meta Keeps Apologizing for Muse. Its Explanations Miss the Point Entirely — Inc. (02:30) QuillCue — App Store (03:10) The AI Warnings Are Getting Louder. Here's What You Need to Know — Apple News Today (03:59)
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#23
September 18 · 5 min
iPhone 18 Pro Reviews, Apple's Fight Against AI Imagery, Will AI Eliminate Us All?
Tyler Stalman's camera review, a reader-submitted Apple Watch Series 12 heart rate study, 48 hours behind the scenes with MKBHD, Adam Conover on Decoder, Austin Mann's iPhone 18 Pro photos, how Apple Reference Image works, the return of AppZapper, and whether AI is really going to kill us. Get the Newsletter iPhone 18 Pro: A Photographer's Review — Tyler Stalman Apple Watch Series 12 Heart Rate Study: Ranking All Wearables! — The Quantified Scientist 48 Hours at the Folding iPhone Event with MKBHD — The Studio Adam Conover explains how YouTube ruined everything — Decoder with Nilay Patel (01:21) iPhone 18 Pro Camera Review: Dunton, Colorado — Austin Mann Apple explains how the iPhone 18 Pro's new Reference Image camera mode works — 9to5Mac (02:10) AppZapper 3000 AI Companies Love to Tell Us How Dangerous Their Products Are. This Time They Mean It — Inc. (03:08) Humanoid robot crashes into a wall during a sprint test at the 'Robot Olympics' in Beijing — The Straits Times
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#22
September 11 · 6 min
Best Look at iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro Camera Breakdown, Apple Watch Audio Intelligence
A hands-on look at the new iPhone Duo, a photographer's take on iPhone 18 Pro camera, Tim Cook's perfect handoff moment, free iPhone Duo wallpapers, and what it means that your Apple Watch is now always listening. Get the Newsletter iPhone Duo - Hands-On — SuperSaf iPhone 18 Pro & Duo: A Photographer's Reaction — Tyler Stalman iPhone Duo Episode - Primary Technology (01:09) Tim Cook's Brief Appearance at the iPhone Duo Event Was Apple Stagecraft at Its Best — Inc. (01:46) iPhone Duo Wallpaper — Basic Apple Guy About Audio Intelligence features on Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 — Apple Support
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#21
September 4 · 7 min
AI Slop is Killing Educational Videos, Designed in California, Upcoming Movie Shortcut
A 30-minute investigation into how AI slop is killing educational YouTube, the Designed in California podcast from Myke Hurley and Jason Snell, Governor Kathy Hochul on Decoder, my own App Store featured spotlight, and a Shortcut that drops upcoming movies straight into your task manager. Get the Newsletter The Death of Educational Content on YouTube The Origin of Apple — Designed in California (00:48) New York Governor Kathy Hochul thinks AI should be 'less evil' — Decoder with Nilay Patel (01:29) Stephen Robles' Productivity Picks — App Store (02:03) Christina Warren's Productivity Picks — App Store Jason Snell's Productivity Picks — App Store Quinn Nelson's Productivity Picks — App Store Upcoming Popular Movies to Kan Do Get the Kan Do App (02:41) How I Use iPad Every Day
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#20
August 28 · 5 min
MKBHD Says Yes to Every Email, GoldenEye on iPhone, Cancer Vaccine
MKBHD says yes to every wild gadget email again, Robert Downey Jr. and Joe Russo look back at Infinity War and the MCU, Bill Gates on our turbulent AI era, GoldenEye 007 running natively on iPhone, Super Mario 64 on  Vision Pro, and we may have a cancer vaccine. Get the Newsletter MKBHD Said Yes to Every Email for a Month! (Again) EXCLUSIVE: Robert Downey Jr. and Joe Russo Look Back At Infinity War The choices we make about AI now are critical — Bill Gates GoldenEye 007 Running Natively on iOS and iPadOS — Chris Sotraidis on Threads Super Mario 64 VR — r/SuperMario64 Stash: Fast Add to Clipboard How Big of a Deal is this Cancer Vaccine?
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#19
August 21 · 6 min
Minimal Phone 2, Claude Watermarks, and Camera AirPods
The strangely intriguing Minimal Phone 2 on Kickstarter, Ben Smith of Semafor on Decoder, John Gruber on Anthropic's text watermarking, a free app that fixes DMG installs forever, and the AirPods camera leak hiding inside macOS Tahoe. Get the Newsletter Minimal Phone 2 Looks A Little TOO Good.. It's about ethics in journalism, with Ben Smith (01:01) Traffic by Ben Smith on Apple Books (01:16) Anthropic’s ‘Watermark’ Text Adulteration in Claude Is a Perversion of Writing (01:52) Firing Line with William F. Buckley Jr.: Borges: South America's Titan EasyDMG — Automated DMG Installs for macOS Apple's Camera-Equipped AirPods Confirmed: See Them in Action (03:53)
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#18
August 14 · 5 min
Superintelligence is a Dragon and I Should've Tried Raycast Years Ago
Mrwhosetheboss on what Google's Pixel 11 event means for Android's future, Colin and Samir on where the AI line is for creators, Casey Newton's take on Zuckerberg's AI manifesto, and the launcher that's better than Spotlight. Get the Newsletter Send me a message Google Pixel 11 Hands on - The Phone Crisis Begins. The Cancellation of Hank Green & Why Gen Z Hates Ai (00:30) We need to talk about the Hank Green situation Superintelligence is a dragon — Platformer Raycast Everyone was right about Raycast How to spot AI writing — The Economist
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#17
August 7 · 6 min
Space is Bigger Than You Think, Google Maps Blew It, When It's Too Much AI
Cleo Abram's tour of fascinating neutrino detectors, Kurzgesagt's video on why we're trapped in our Solar System, and if you're over 40, you're ready to use AI. Get the Newsletter The Massive Machine Hidden in the Deep Ocean ‎Watch Silo - Show - Apple TV (00:39) Why Humanity Will Never Leave The Solar System The Puzzle of Grief - Summer Archive (00:55) See how Google Earth let people make fake scenes of bombings, riots and destruction (01:27) I Built the Task App I've Always Wanted - YouTube Kan Do: Project Management App - App Store After Years Building a Brand on Authenticity, Hank Green Says He Relied Too Much on ChatGPT (02:46) If You’re Over 40, You’re Ready to Use A.I. This changed our perspective on AI. Well put @debbiemillman
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#16
July 31 · 5 min
iPhone User's Take on Z Fold 8, Deep Fitness Tracker Testing, U.S. Bans Robot Vacuums
Andrew Clare tests the Galaxy Z Fold 8 as a primarily iPhone user, history podcasts I can't stop listening to, in-depth fitness tracker testing, two of my favorite apps got big upgrades, and the FCC just banned robots, including vacuums. Get the Newsletter Testing the Galaxy Z Fold 8 as an iPhone User... No Fluff (00:05) World War II with Tom Hanks (00:31) The Halifax Explosion (Entry 562.JB0409) — Omnibus (00:48) The Wearable Showdown: Oura Ring 5 vs. Fitbit Air vs. Whoop MG vs. Apple Watch — WSJ (01:16) AI Broke Containment, Galaxy Z Fold 8 Lineup, Best Fitness Trackers with Lexy Savvides — Primary Technology (01:52) Pastebot 3 (02:11) Nutrition Tracker: Foodnoms (02:45) The US government just banned Roombas — The Verge (03:23)
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#15
July 24 · 5 min
Nolan's Odyssey, WWII with Tom Hanks, Great Apple Home App
Ludwig Göransson's incredible Odyssey score, a feature-length breakdown of Nolan's "invisible CGI," World War II podcast with Tom Hanks, a great smart home app, creativity in the age of AI. The Odyssey | In Studio: Ludwig Göransson The Odyssey (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) on Apple Music (00:26) NOLAN'S CGI is really just INVISIBLE CGI ("no CGI" part 6) The Beginning (01:11) - WWII with Tom Hanks Dr. Jill Lepore on why the AI backlash is vital for the future The Odyssey (2026) Review (01:50) - Movies on the Side ‘The Odyssey’ Shows Us Just How Big, Bold, and Grown-Up Movies Can Be. Scream for More. HomeSnap - Smart Home Insights App - App Store The future of creativity on the internet in a world with AI
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#14
July 17 · 4 min
Robot Hands Are Getting Wild, Get USB-C Cable Insights, ChatGPT Super App
The 1X NEO robot's incredibly dexterous new hands, Hank Green interviews Helen Hunt on his new podcast, M.G. Siegler on why the new ChatGPT app sort of super sucks, a free Mac utility that tells you what your USB-C cables can really do, plus Facebook Marketplace food reviews and jaw-dropping bird calls. Get the Newsletter https://shortcut.bot/topfive Movies on the Side https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/movies-on-the-side/id1373518864 Primary Technology https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/primary-technology/id1723943281 Mac Power Users https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mac-power-users/id458066753 1X NEO Hands Demo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRyXV3csReA Helen Hunt: When the Universe Betrays You — Humans with Hank Green https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/helen-hunt-when-the-universe-betrays-you/id1896666596?i=1000773262872 The ChatGPT "Super App" Sort of Super Sucks — Spyglass https://spyglass.org/chatgpt-gets-to-work/ WhatCable https://www.whatcable.uk/ Gabriel Rivera on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/itsgabrielrivera Samuel's Bird Calls — TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8GvPGPd/
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#13
July 10 · 4 min
How IMAX 70mm Works, Best Movie and TV App, The Rest is History
A behind-the-scenes look at how IMAX projects 70mm film for The Odyssey, the JFK series that got me hooked on The Rest Is History, Derek Seaman's top macOS app picks, and the two apps I'm leaning on to track my media and get a second opinion on my health. Get the Newsletter https://shortcut.bot/topfive How IMAX 70MM Film is Projected! https://youtube.com/watch?v=7S_geBV5bLQ&is=RiKJLJadWQUnE57P Deepister.tech on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/deepister.tech JFK: Death in Dallas (Part 3) — The Rest Is History https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jfk-death-in-dallas-part-3/id1537788786?i=1000634881247 My Top macOS App Picks (2026 Edition) — Derek Seaman's Tech Blog https://www.derekseaman.com/2026/07/my-top-macos-app-picks-2026-edition.html Sequel • Media Tracker https://www.getsequel.app Trackables – Health Tracker https://apps.apple.com/us/app/trackables-health-tracker/id6745567488
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#12
July 3 · 3 min
Find My Showdown, Hyperspace, Four Thousand Weeks
Lexy Savvides pits Find My against Google's network, ATP digs into Apple's price increases, the book that reframed how I think about time, John Siracusa's disk-space app, and Holst's Jupiter. Get the Newsletter https://shortcut.bot/topfive I lost my stuff on purpose. Who found it faster? https://youtu.be/8DvGX96Obh8?is=IJjz38TkacpQt8gI The Chart Is Terrifying — Accidental Tech Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/accidental-tech-podcast/id617416468?i=1000774400611 You're Not Ready For These iPhone Shortcuts https://youtu.be/zUKCL70V-R4 Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals — Oliver Burkeman https://amzn.to/446h9yA Hyperspace: Reclaim Disk Space — John Siracusa https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hyperspace-reclaim-disk-space/id6739505345?mt=12 Holst: The Planets — Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-planets-suite-jupiter/267986844?i=267987026 Shortcuts Community https://create.beard.fm/checkout/community?coupon_code=HALFOFF25
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#11
June 26 · 6 min
Slate EV Truck, Apple Raises Prices, Toy Story 5
First look at the $25,000 Slate EV Truck, why Apple just raised prices across the lineup, a plain-language Mac utility, and what Toy Story 5 says about our screens. Get the Newsletter https://shortcut.bot/topfive Affiliate Prime Day Deals https://geni.us/wN559wu Shortcuts Community https://create.beard.fm/checkout/community?coupon_code=HALFOFF25 Spider-Man: Brand New Day – New Trailer (4K) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62bIsvRcPv0 Slate Truck First Look: The $25,000 Modular EV! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0t7wpkFc6U Can Patreon Fight Fire With Social Media Fire? — Decoder with Nilay Patel https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/can-patreon-fight-fire-with-social-media-fire/id1011668648?i=1000773706490 Apple Explains Why It Raised Prices on These 14 Products Today — MacRumors https://www.macrumors.com/2026/06/25/apple-explains-why-it-raised-prices/ Apple Announces Significant Price Increases for MacBooks, iPads, More — 9to5Mac https://9to5mac.com/2026/06/25/apple-price-increases-mac-ipad-more/ Substage — A Natural Language Command Bar for Your Finder Windows https://selkie.design/substage/ Toy Story 5 — Disney Movies https://movies.disney.com/toy-story-5
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#10
June 19 · 5 min
How  Vision Pro Immersive Content is Made, Harmony Remotes, Tech News Moves
A behind-the-scenes look at how Apple builds those immersive visionOS environments, Version History episode on the Harmony remote, how Australia's social media ban is actually playing out, a fun shortcut for yesterday's sports scores, and shake-ups happening in tech journalism. Get the Newsletter https://shortcut.bot/topfive How  Vision Pro Immersive Environments Are Made https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIqQSs6R-6Y Harmony remote: Control freak — Version History https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/harmony-remote-control-freak/id1840983742?i=1000772624848 How Australia's social media ban has affected families six months on — The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/15/how-australia-social-media-ban-has-affected-families-six-months-on Get Yesterday's Sports Scores https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/86378520115643f0b0feca437620d2d8 Eater, The Verge and SB Nation Sold to Penske Media — The Hollywood Reporter https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/eater-verge-sbnation-sold-penske-media-1236624828/ The Siri Demo Apple Didn't Show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtWNGnPj-kM The New Siri is Actually Good https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQ3lL68hNK4
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#9
June 12 · 3 min
Apple Vision Pro Future, Task App, Viticci's 10 Years at WWDC
Justin Ryan asks Apple if it's done with Vision Pro, Primary Technology was LIVE from Apple Park, Federico Viticci's reflective WWDC essay, and the beautifully designed Tasks app I'm about to try. Get the Newsletter I Asked Apple About visionOS 27 and Vision Pro Rumors Andrew Clare's YouTube Channel My WWDC 2026 Video Playlist WWDC 2026 LIVE from Apple Park | Primary Technology WWDC 2026: Between Seasons | MacStories macOS Wall of Text | Basic Apple Guy Tasks: Todo Lists & Kanban
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#8
June 5 · 4 min
MacVince Channel, Gruber on TBPN, Designed in California
MacVince is making incredible YouTube content about apps, John Gruber guesting on TBPN, the Kickstarter for Mike Hurley and Jason Snell's new Apple history podcast, the $10 Mac app I use to grab text from anything, and Amy Poehler's great hang with Judge Judy. Get the Newsletter https://shortcut.bot/topfive MacVince's New Mac Apps https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06Zn0NVoG2g&t Gruber on TBPN https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-origin-explosion-enterprise-ai-hits-spending-limits/id1772360235?i=1000770241038&t=1753 TBPN Episode on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/live/sQVwLUxFdMY?si=EXKp-3QZS64Y1Idp&t=1998 Designed in California: An Apple History Podcast https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/designedincalifornia/designed-in-california-an-apple-history-podcast TextSniper https://apps.apple.com/us/app/textsniper/id1528890965?mt=12 Judge Judy Sheindlin — Good Hang with Amy Poehler https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-hang-with-amy-poehler/id1795483480?i=1000724534033
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#7
May 29 · 4 min
Bob Ross × Mozart × Ferrari
Ferrari's first EV designed by Jony Ive, Sundar Pichai on Google's AI future, a seven-year-old video about the word you say every day, and a new RSS reader worth trying. Get the Newsletter https://shortcut.bot/topfive Ferrari Luce Interior — MKBHD https://youtube.com/watch?v=6Reu1WS3BhM How Sundar Pichai Is Rethinking Google for the AI Era — Decoder with Nilay Patel https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/decoder-with-nilay-patel/id1011668648?i=1000769616958 Focused — with David Sparks and Mike Schmitz Note: My Episode releases Tuesday, June 2nd https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/focused/id1138055739 Why we say "OK" — Vox https://youtu.be/1UnIDL-eHOs Amethyst https://amethyst.news Inventory Shortcut https://shortcut.bot/3RA2Pvb Inventory Shortcut Demo https://youtube.com/shorts/8c9hMTDAZr0 Bob Ross × Mozart × Fortnite https://youtube.com/watch?v=q5HAEgkIaRM
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