Basic AF: a (mostly) tech podcast

Apple has updated the iPad Air, iPad, MacBook Air, and Mac Studio. The new Apple Immersive Metallica experience is phenomenal; is it a turning point for Apple's immersive content? And what in the world is going on at Apple with Siri?

Links from the show:

iPad Air

iPad

MacBook Air

Mac Studio

Apple Immersive Metallica

Something Is Rotten in the State of Cupertino

Apple’s (AAPL) Siri Chief Calls AI Delays Ugly and Embarrassing, Promises Fixes

AI search engines cite incorrect sources at an alarming 60% rate, study says

AI’s Real Hallucination Problem

An AI Coding Assistant Refused to Write Code—and Suggested the User Learn to Do It Himself

Question or Comment? Send us a Text Message!

Contact Us

• Drop us a line at [email protected]
• 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.

It’s time to check in on the Apple Public Betas! Jeff is running the latest builds of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and watchOS 11, while he and Tom are both running the latest macOS Sequoia beta. There’s a lot to like, and we’ll share our experiences with the new Home Screen features, Control Center, Mac window tiling, the Passwords app, and much more!
Links
Apple results: Quarterly record, all-time high in Services
See Apple Intelligence in Action
watchOS 11 Preview
iOS 18 Preview
iPadOS 18 Preview
macOS Sequoia Preview

Question or Comment? Send us a Text Message!

Contact Us

• Drop us a line at [email protected]
• 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.

In this special holiday episode of Basic AF, Jeff Battersby and Tom Anderson share their favorite picks from 2024, blending tech, books, music, and apps. The duo kicks off with lighthearted banter about recording struggles, holiday vibes, and their signature cranky humor before diving into their curated favorites.

Jeff highlights the Beetle X31 SSD, a sleek and reliable portable storage device, and shares his literary recommendations, including If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio, Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, and James by Percival Everett, each rich with thematic connections to classic literature. Tom, on the other hand, spotlights Craft 3, an app redefining productivity with database-like collections, the excellent Capital Centre: A Retrospective, and the Anker USB-C Charger, offering versatile charging solutions for multiple devices.

The episode also explores cultural gems like The Mars Volta’s self-titled album, the whimsical Festivitas app, which decks out the Mac menu bar and dock with festive holiday lights, and more!
Links:
Beetle X31 SSD https://ssd.skhynix.com/beetle_x31/

If We Were Villains: A Novel https://www.amazon.com/If-We-Were-Villains-Novel/

Demon Copperhead https://amzn.to/4iuPP2P

James https://amzn.to/3VtSuA2

The Mars Volta https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-mars-volta/1636983430
Craft 3 https://www.craft.do/v3

Question or Comment? Send us a Text Message!

Contact Us

• Drop us a line at [email protected]
• 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.

It’s easy to lose track of subscriptions, and Tom and Jeff are feeling it too. In this episode, they unpack the apps, services, and streaming platforms they’re paying for — the good, the bad, and the ones they forgot they even had. They swap stories about accidental renewals (looking at you, $250 “oops”), spotlight useful apps, and talk through a few tricks for managing subscriptions smarter. It’s a fun and slightly painful look at modern digital life.

Links from the show:

Setapp

Question or Comment? Send us a Text Message!

Contact Us

• Drop us a line at [email protected]
• 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.

In this episode:

• Apple security updates you should install
• Thoughts on the rumored MacBook Air 15”
• Gannon’s Apple products and his wild keyboard
• What we like about Apple Fitness+
• Saving money with Apple One
• Apple Pay, Apple Card, and Apple Cash
• Is AppleCare worth it?

Guest - Gannon Nordberg

Gannon is a Google Certified Educator, Apple Teacher, and a Canvas Advocate who aims to create polished and user-friendly instructional support resources, including help guides, webinars, videos, and course design elements that are entirely free from confusing techie jargon.

He has spoken at several national conferences, and won the national award for outstanding support to faculty and students in 2019 through the Instructional Technology Council, and the 2022 Excellence in Education Award for Collaboration within the Virginia Community College System.

He also feeds off an endless pile of productivity and self-help books surrounding focus, building margin, minimalism, reducing digital distractions, and using time intentionally.

Find more on Gannon at https://www.gannonnordberg.com.

Links from the show:

• Apple Security Updates Support Article
• MacRumors: 15-Inch MacBook Air Rumored to Launch in April
• Refurb Tracker: Track availability of Apple refurbished products
• Apple Studio Display
• ZSA Moonlander split ergo mechanical keyboard
• Magic Trackpad
• Elgato Stream Deck MK.2
• Elgator Wave:3 Microphone
• Apple Fitness+
• Apple Entertainment Services

Question or Comment? Send us a Text Message!

Contact Us

• Drop us a line at [email protected]
• 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.