Tom and Jeff dive into three fun segments: Tom’s updated Mac recommendations for students, Jeff's update on his Forever Notes system using Apple Notes, and how both hosts are using health tracking apps to better understand their stress and recovery. Tom unpacks how Athlytic and Apple Watch are helping him recognize stress and reduce habitual tension, while Jeff shares how Gentler Streak has helped him optimize sleep and workouts. It’s a mix of tech tips, personal stories, and wellness insights—plus a few keg-lifting jokes.

Links from the show:

Best Mac for College – Tom Anderson

My Forever Notes

Gentler App

Athlytic App

Episode 55 - Who Pays for Calendar Apps & Next-Level Notes with Bill McLean

Episode 58 - WWDC Announced, Gentler Streak Workout Tracker, and "The Cybernetic Teammate" by Ethan Mollick

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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

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Intro Music: Psychokinetics - The Chosen

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Transcripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.

Tom Anderson and Jeff Battersby are joined by returning guest Joe Moyer for a comprehensive breakdown of Apple's WWDC 2025 keynote:

• Exploration of the new "Liquid Glass" design language unifying all Apple platforms
• New Apple Intelligence features
• Analysis of simplified version numbering (everything is now version 26)
• iPadOS 26's new windowing system and advanced features
• iOS 26's customizable interface and enhanced CarPlay features
• macOS Tahoe's powerful Spotlight improvements and Journal app expansion
• Vision Pro's enterprise push and quality-of-life improvements across the ecosystem

Where to find Joe:

Threads - https://www.threads.net/@thejournalingguide
The Journaling Guide - https://www.24letters.net/thejournalingguide
24Letters - https://www.24letters.net

Links from the show:

Apple elevates the iPhone experience with iOS 26

watchOS 26 delivers more personalized ways to stay active and connected

Apple TV brings a beautiful redesign and enhanced home entertainment experience

macOS Tahoe 26 makes the Mac more capable, productive, and intelligent than ever

visionOS 26 introduces powerful new spatial experiences for Apple Vision Pro

iPadOS 26 introduces powerful new features that push iPad even further

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
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Intro Music: Psychokinetics - The Chosen

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Riley Hill returns to the show to join Jeff and Tom for a preview of WWDC 2025. What's coming from Apple? What kind of AI company should Apple be? And is there less hype than normal for this year's event?

The guys also throw around some thoughts on the big announcement that Jony Ive and OpenAI are working on a new type of AI-centered device. It doesn't sound like it's a phone or glasses, so what might it be? Is there a market for a new type of device?

Also, they sprinkle in some highlights from Google's IO event last week.

Where to Find Riley:

Riley Hill on YouTube

Riley Hill Website

Riley Hill on Threads

Links from the show:

9to5Mac on Instagram: “Just 18 days until WWDC 2025! While last-minute leaks are likely, here’s what we expect Apple to announce so far”

WWDC 2025: Everything We Know | MacRumors

OpenAI is buying iPhone designer Jony Ive’s AI devices startup for $6.4 billion

Exclusive | What Sam Altman Told OpenAI About the Secret Device He’s Making With Jony Ive

The 15 biggest announcements at Google I/O 2025

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

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Transcripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.

Tom’s queued up an AI podcast app experiment, and Jeff’s wondering if it’s really worth the $85 price tag. This week, the guys dive into Snipd’s AI-powered podcast magic, how it pairs with Readwise for smart highlights and spaced repetition, and Tom’s sneaky new trick for “listening” to podcasts while he sleeps. 

Plus, they talk about the Siri lawsuit that might earn you a few bucks, Apple’s App Store rule changes, and why longtime fans (and cranky nerds) are raising eyebrows at Apple’s recent stumbles. Is it time for new leadership?

Links from the show:

Snipd - The Most Powerful Podcast App

How to Start Journaling Today — 24 Letters

If you used Siri between 2014 and 2024, you may have a claim against Apple

Epic Games Submits Fortnite to U.S. App Store

Apple’s Phil Schiller Initially Opposed 27% App Store Fee on External Purchases

Apple Turnover

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!

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Intro Music: Psychokinetics - The Chosen

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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
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Intro Music: Psychokinetics - The Chosen

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Transcripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.

We sit down with writer and user researcher Leah Reich to explore the complex relationship between technology and the humans who use it. Leah shares insights from her newsletter and writing career before diving into the evolving landscape of user research in tech companies, including her time at Slack, Spotify, and Meta/Instagram.

We discuss the delicate balance between serving user needs and business goals, and examine the concerning industry shift away from comprehensive user research. Leah offers her personal perspective on the Apple Watch experience and we explore the broader implications of gamification in our digital lives—questioning whether turning everything into a game truly serves our wellbeing.

Links from the show:

• Friction is Necessary Resistance
• We Don’t Need No Innovation
• Ungamify Your Brain
• Leah Reich | Meets Most

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
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Intro Music: Psychokinetics - The Chosen

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Transcripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.

In this episode:

• Apple announces WWDC will be June 9-13
• Jeff is experimenting with Gentler Streak and having a bit of nostalgia with Notebook Artillery
• A subtle AirPods Pro experience
• The boys continue to argue over AI
• Ethan Mollick highlights study that finds legit benefits of AI at work

Links from the show:

• Mac - Lumon Terminal Pro
• ‘Severance’ editor was all-in on Apple hardware, but not Final Cut Pro
• ‎Workout Tracker Gentler Streak
• ‎Notebook Artillery
• ChatGPT Starts Blocking Studio Ghibli-Style Images After Trend Goes Viral
• The Cybernetic Teammate
• Artificial Intelligence Systems and Copyright
• The Tech Fantasy That Powers A.I. Is Running on Fumes

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

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Transcripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.

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

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Transcripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.

There’s a new iPhone 16 family member, new betas, a new Apple News+ feature, and Jeff has a new thing going in Apple Notes using the Forever*Notes framework. 

Links from the show:

iPhone 16e

Apple News+ Food

Brace yourself for Deep Water Solo. The next episode of Adventure.

Highland Pro

Forever*Notes

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
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• Recommend in Overcast

Intro Music: Psychokinetics - The Chosen

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Transcripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.

Jeff and Tom are joined by Bill McLean for a great discussion on third-party calendar app subscriptions, extending the capabilities of Apple Notes with Forever Notes, and a round-up of AI tools that Bill uses.

Where to find more from Bill McLean:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BillMcLean

Web: https://www.williambmclean.com

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@williambmclean

Links from the show:

About migrating Apple Account purchases between accounts - Apple Support

Fantastical

Morgen - Daily planning in your calendars

Structured app

Forever Notes - A free framework for Apple Notes

Apple’s Long-Promised AI Overhaul for Siri Runs Into Bugs, Possible Delays

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
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Transcripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.