Daniel and Manton talk about two hardware AI-focused products: Rabbit and Humane’s Ai Pin. They compare the features, the prices, and question whether the premise from each company is true: do people really hate their phones? Daniel argues that Apple Watch is the form factor that these devices should be pursuing, and they both reflect on how the phenomenal growth of AI in the tech industry is expanding out of software and into AI.
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Manton and Daniel react to AI announcements from Google and Apple, and speculate that AI could be the technological weakness empowering other companies to challenge Apple’s dominance. They talk about a new service from Beeper that allows Android users to connect directly to the iMessage network, and how likely they are to be stopped by Apple. Finally, they discuss the ethical implications of a company like Beeper “hitching a ride” on another company’s infrastructure without their permission.
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Daniel talks to Manton about his road trip, how he got Covid, and had to rush home. They react to the leak of an internal Tumblr memo, and Matt Mullenweg’s subsequent public statements about it, evaluate Tumblr’s current status and prognosis for the future, and why the heck Tumblr posts don’t have dates.
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Manton and Daniel react to Apple’s M3 Mac announcement. They have different feelings about the quality of the presentation, but agree on the substance of what was presented. They talk about resisting the urge to upgrade when Macs are increasingly holding their utility for many years. Manton observes that Apple actually talked about “AI” by name, and they both talk about Apple’s relative obliviousness when it comes to AI. Finally, they hint at Manton’s forthcoming road trip, combining work and pleasure.
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Manton and Daniel talk more about the on-by-default Video Reactions feature, now that it’s been deployed to the masses. They acknowledge the risks of injecting emotional language and imagery into arbitrary digital contexts, and think about how Apple might have introduced the feature differently. Finally, they consider Twitter/X’s new $1/year subscription approach, which might not be the craziest idea they’ve ever heard.
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Daniel and Manton Follow-up on whether they ordered any new phones or watches. They talk about resisting the temptation to buy things because they are “shiny and new”. Entropy and the incentive companies do or don’t have to make financial arrangements “simple”. Finally they talk about the risks and rewards of upgrading to macOS Sonoma and Xcode 15.
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Manton and Daniel respond to Apple’s latest special event. They celebrate Tim Cook’s relatively good acting, and perhaps being … funny for the first time? The march of USB-C progress, and how iPhone 15 brings us one step closer to the elimination of Lightning ports. Finally they reflect on the forthcoming release of macOS 14 “Sonoma” and the funny way a new feature injected itself into Daniel’s life.
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The end of Twitter is finally nigh, so Daniel and Manton talk about the continuing foolishness of Elon Musk. They celebrate the rebranding to “X” as a relief for people who ever loved anything about Twitter, and talk about Threads as a viable alternative to Twitter. Daniel shares that he has applied for a Vision Pro prototype to develop a VR version of Black Ink. Finally, they take a deeper consideration of the value of pushing yourself into areas you’re not comfortable with or feel unqualified for.
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Daniel and Manton talk about Apple’s threat to withhold FaceTime and Message from the UK. How much leverage should tech companies have over countries? They segue to a discussion of where to draw the line in general on public surveillance. Finally, they struggle to conclude whether or not companies should exert power over governments, and consider Apple’s unlikely goodness for being a huge company.
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Manton and Daniel talk about Apple’s new visionOS SDK, and debate the virtue of steering clear from “new shiny” technologies, vs. getting acquainted with them as soon as possible. How do we prioritize native platform development while maximizing the ability to deploy to all of Apple’s platforms? They talk about investing time into new platforms and frameworks when the investment will pay off, vs. when the work will be wasted on short-term workaround. When does it makes sense for a company to invest even a small amount of money in their competitors, like Automattic just did? Finally, they touch lightly on the possibility that Facebook will enter the ActivityPub realm, and the ridiculousness in general of NDAs.
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