Basic AF: a (mostly) tech podcast

Hosted by Tom Anderson & Jeff Battersby

Technology News Education

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Aug 2026

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Apple makes incredible products. The tips and insights that actually help are harder to find. Basic AF cuts through the hype cycles and gets straight to what matters for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch users. Plus, app recommendations, gear reviews, AI tools, and the everyday tech that actually shows up in your life. Every other Monday, Tom Anderson and Jeff Battersby bring 25+ years of real-world Apple experience to practical, insightful conversations for people like you.

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August 3, 2026Episode 9352 min

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-endWhy the Klarna partnership has Jeff feeling icky about where Apple's headedA wild AI story: Anthropic's Claude models broke out of a sandboxed test and hacked three real organizationsA quick tribute to John C. Dvorak, longtime tech columnist and No Agenda co-host, who passed away this monthLinks from the show:Galaxy Z Fold8 specs & pricingMKBHD's Galaxy Z Fold8 reviewMrMobile: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Review: Worth The Camera CompromiseApple Upgrade program announcementApple Upgrade breakdown (MacRumors)Anthropic's AI hacking disclosure (WaPo)Hugging FaceCory Doctorow on The Weekly Show with Jon StewartBenedict Evans' newsletterHalide camera appQuestion or Comment? Send us a Text Message!Support the showContact UsDrop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.comYou’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social on BlueskyFind Tom at @tomanderson on ThreadsJoin Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk, for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks.Tom has a new YouTube channelShow artwork by the great Randall Martin DesignEnjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating!Review on Apple PodcastsRate on SpotifyRecommend in OvercastIntro Music: Psychokinetics - The ChosenApple MusicSpotifyTranscripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.

July 20, 2026Episode 9251 min

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 phoneLiquid Glass refinements and a smarter notch-aware menu bar on macOSSpotlight opening iPhone-only apps remotely from your MacCarPlay upgrades: three rows of icons are back, plus navigation volume odditiesThe big one: the new Siri actually pulling real context from email, calendar, and third-party accountsReal examples — catching a bank fraud alert, scheduling car service, recapping a live product announcement, even sketching out a ShortcutBeta-testing do's and don'ts: what to install where, filing feedback, backing up firstA timeline for when these releases arrive (hint: mid-September)Question or Comment? Send us a Text Message!Support the showContact UsDrop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.comYou’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social on BlueskyFind Tom at @tomanderson on ThreadsJoin Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk, for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks.Tom has a new YouTube channelShow artwork by the great Randall Martin DesignEnjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating!Review on Apple PodcastsRate on SpotifyRecommend in OvercastIntro Music: Psychokinetics - The ChosenApple MusicSpotifyTranscripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.

July 6, 2026Episode 9153 min

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/basicafTopics covered:How Kevin went from quantitative finance to AI engineering — and why machine learning grabbed him the way it didThe origin story of Snipd: a personal frustration turned into a full-featured podcast appHow the core "snipping" feature works — tap your headphones, and the AI saves the audio clip, transcript, and a generated note automaticallyThe 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 themHow Snipd connects with apps like Readwise for a personal knowledge management workflowThe "chat with episode" feature, auto-generated chapters, book mentions, and speaker identificationWhy Snipd is unapologetically built for knowledge-rich podcasts — and why that focus is a strengthListener 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: @KevinBenSmithFree one-month Snipd Premium trial: https://link.snipd.com/Cx7S/basicafQuestion or Comment? Send us a Text Message!Support the showContact UsDrop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.comYou’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social on BlueskyFind Tom at @tomanderson on ThreadsJoin Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk, for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks.Tom has a new YouTube channelShow artwork by the great Randall Martin DesignEnjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating!Review on Apple PodcastsRate on SpotifyRecommend in OvercastIntro Music: Psychokinetics - The ChosenApple MusicSpotifyTranscripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.

June 22, 2026Episode 9049 min

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 behindHis inbox-first capture method and weekly Friday reviewHow he uses folders (groups) in Reminders to separate work, side hustle, and familyThe "Your Day" and "Growth" smart list setup for a cleaner today viewMonth → Week → Priorities planning cadenceConnecting Reminders to Notes for project contextWhat Robin is most excited about from WWDC 2026: AI-powered Shortcuts and Safari improvementsTom's own journey from Evernote + OmniFocus to Craft tasksLinks from the show:Robin on Threads: https://www.threads.com/@robinsanahkaiForMacUsers.com: https://www.formacusers.com/Robin's Apple Reminders guide on Medium: https://medium.com/macoclock/apple-reminders-full-setup-deb28e755eb6?sk=21ab358dbf39f28ed90133d706fb7cf5Stories from Ukraine: The True Price of War: https://a.co/d/0gu6KDAlQuestion or Comment? Send us a Text Message!Support the showContact UsDrop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.comYou’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social on BlueskyFind Tom at @tomanderson on ThreadsJoin Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk, for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks.Tom has a new YouTube channelShow artwork by the great Randall Martin DesignEnjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating!Review on Apple PodcastsRate on SpotifyRecommend in OvercastIntro Music: Psychokinetics - The ChosenApple MusicSpotifyTranscripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.

June 9, 2026Episode 891 hr 10 min

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 AIWhy this keynote felt like Apple's "Snow Leopard" moment — focusing on performance and stabilitySiri AI: the personal context features Apple promised two years ago… that may actually work nowThe Gemini partnership and what Apple's privacy promises mean in practiceNew 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 betaAI-powered Shortcuts: promising, half-working, and full of potentialParental controls overhaul and why it still needs a centralized management solutionWhich devices get left behind — iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Watch compatibility breakdownsTim Cook's farewell WWDC keynote Links from the show:Riley Hill: slatepad.orgJoe Moyer: 24letters.net (and The Journaling Guide newsletter)Support the show: basicafshow.comQuestion or Comment? Send us a Text Message!Support the showContact UsDrop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.comYou’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social on BlueskyFind Tom at @tomanderson on ThreadsJoin Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk, for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks.Tom has a new YouTube channelShow artwork by the great Randall Martin DesignEnjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating!Review on Apple PodcastsRate on SpotifyRecommend in OvercastIntro Music: Psychokinetics - The ChosenApple MusicSpotifyTranscripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.

May 25, 2026Episode 8844 min

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 brilliantlyTom's mysterious MacBook Air lockup issue, and the macOS 26.4 bug that turned out to be the culpritJeff's Studio Display needed a reset — turns out it runs a full iOS-based OS, and a simple unplug trick fixes a lotThe Canvas (not Canva!) ransomware hack that hit 9,000+ schools right during finals weekApple 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 printKansas City Public Schools replacing 30,000 Windows PCs and Chromebooks with Apple devicesApple Sports app now covers the World CupField Notes Explore America notebooks: Tom has a new problemLinks from the show:Buy Jeff's MacBook Pro M2: https://swappa.com/listing/view/LAFC35203Field Notes Explore America: fieldnotesbrand.com/products/explore-americaApple TV + iPhone 17 Pro MLS broadcast: apple.com/newsroomSign up for Tom's newsletter: tomfanderson.comQuestion or Comment? Send us a Text Message!Support the showContact UsDrop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.comYou’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social on BlueskyFind Tom at @tomanderson on ThreadsJoin Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk, for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks.Tom has a new YouTube channelShow artwork by the great Randall Martin DesignEnjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating!Review on Apple PodcastsRate on SpotifyRecommend in OvercastIntro Music: Psychokinetics - The ChosenApple MusicSpotifyTranscripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.

May 11, 2026Episode 8745 min

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 appMac mini's base model is gone — the entry price jumps to $799, and Tim Cook says supply constraints won't recover for several monthsApple Education Store now requires UNiDAYS verification, and Apple Watch just joined the discount programiOS 27 rumor: you may soon choose Claude or Gemini as your Apple Intelligence AI instead of ChatGPTApple's $250M Siri lawsuit settlement — if you own an iPhone 15 Pro or 16 series, you might be owed $25–$95M5 MacBook Air first impressions: Jeff's testing one alongside his MacBook Pro — and Tom's university just ordered 100 of themLinks from the show:Apple Notes: Four Tips That Make Finding Things EffortlessFour 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 showContact UsDrop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.comYou’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social on BlueskyFind Tom at @tomanderson on ThreadsJoin Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk, for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks.Tom has a new YouTube channelShow artwork by the great Randall Martin DesignEnjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating!Review on Apple PodcastsRate on SpotifyRecommend in OvercastIntro Music: Psychokinetics - The ChosenApple MusicSpotifyTranscripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.

April 27, 2026Episode 8654 min

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 softwareWhich AI platforms Tom and Bill settled on, and why ChatGPT got droppedClaude Co-Work in real life: web scraping, YouTube analytics, and why you still have to babysit itThe "dopamine hit" problem: why AI-generated ideas can kill your motivation to actually do the workHow Bill replaced his Squarespace subscription using Claude Code with zero coding backgroundWhy context might be AI's real superpower and why Apple could have the biggest edgeMCP integrations worth building: Readwise, Craft, Apple RemindersWhy Claude projects and skills outperformed an Obsidian vault for real workflow resultsA must-read New Yorker profile on Sam AltmanLinks from the show:Bill McLean on YouTube: youtube.com/@BillMcLeanSam Altman May Control Our Future—Can He Be Trusted? - The New YorkerQuestion or Comment? Send us a Text Message!Support the showContact UsDrop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.comYou’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social on BlueskyFind Tom at @tomanderson on ThreadsJoin Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk, for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks.Tom has a new YouTube channelShow artwork by the great Randall Martin DesignEnjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating!Review on Apple PodcastsRate on SpotifyRecommend in OvercastIntro Music: Psychokinetics - The ChosenApple MusicSpotifyTranscripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.

April 13, 2026Episode 8545 min

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 timesMacBook Neo demand and Bill McLean's hands-on reviewJeff's updated take on the BookTracker appAmazon deprecating pre-2012 Kindles — and what it means for your digital libraryThe Libby app and library cards for free booksMerriam-Webster's Visual Dictionary (Jeff's new obsession)iOS 26.4: keyboard accuracy improvements, Urgent Reminders update, Stolen Device Protection, and AI apps in CarPlayResetting your keyboard dictionary after updatingLinks from the show:BookTracker app: https://booktrack.appLibby app: https://libbyapp.comBill McLean's MacBook Neo reviewApple Talk newsletter (keyboard reset tip): https://www.tomfanderson.com/p/ios-26-4-iphone-keyboard-fixMerriam-Webster's Visual DictionaryWe’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 showContact UsDrop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.comYou’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social on BlueskyFind Tom at @tomanderson on ThreadsJoin Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk, for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks.Tom has a new YouTube channelShow artwork by the great Randall Martin DesignEnjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating!Review on Apple PodcastsRate on SpotifyRecommend in OvercastIntro Music: Psychokinetics - The ChosenApple MusicSpotifyTranscripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.

March 30, 2026Episode 8449 min

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 editingThe physical trackpad vs. the haptic trackpad on his wife's M4 MacBook AirLiving 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 workaroundBattery life: good enough?Why 8GB of RAM is genuinely fineMagSafe as the one real missing pieceTarget now selling the MacBook Neo — and what that means for reaching new Mac buyersThe education discount trick (you didn't hear it from them)Speaker quality: surprisingly good for spoken wordWWDC 26 announced26.4 updates now available — keyboard improvements for iPhoneMac Pro discontinued; the Mac Studio is now the top of the lineLinks from the show:Nate's previous episode (Meta Ray-Ban glasses)Apple Announces WWDC 2026 DatesMore from Nate:Last Month Online https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/last-month-online/id1824514139Nate on Threads: https://www.threads.com/@ngorbyNate on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ngorbyQuestion or Comment? Send us a Text Message!Support the showContact UsDrop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.comYou’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social on BlueskyFind Tom at @tomanderson on ThreadsJoin Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk, for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks.Tom has a new YouTube channelShow artwork by the great Randall Martin DesignEnjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating!Review on Apple PodcastsRate on SpotifyRecommend in OvercastIntro Music: Psychokinetics - The ChosenApple MusicSpotifyTranscripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.