Primary Tech Subscriber Edition

Apple may have a “Creator Access Program," AirPods Max 2 with H2 announced, iOS 26.4 coming soon, AI Val Kilmer to star in a movie posthumously, new HomeKit Video Doorbell, and Stephen’s home theater saga.

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• Show Notes via Email
• Creative Effort - Jason's Podcast
• Watch on YouTube!
• Join the Community
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Links from the show

• MacBook Neo Giveaway? - Instagram
• Apple Acquires Final Cut Pro Plugin Company MotionVFX - MacRumors
• Apple introduces AirPods Max 2 - Apple
• Apple highlights 13 enhancements coming to iPhone with iOS 26.4 - 9to5Mac
• Why Apple’s Video Podcast Push Feels Like the End of an Era
• Nvidia GTC 2026: CEO Jensen Huang keynote Blackwell Vera Rubin
• NVIDIA GTC 2026: Live Updates on What’s Next in AI | NVIDIA Blog
• YouTube
• Val Kilmer in 'As Deep As the Grave, His Performance was AI Generated
• Joanna Stern's Documentary
• HomeKit Weekly: Aqara releases its first Matter camera alongside a new Apple Home enabled wired doorbell - 9to5Mac
• Overcast is gaining transcripts, and it will have an edge over Apple Podcasts - 9to5Mac
• Samsung discontinues its Galaxy Z TriFold after just three months | The Verge
• Facebook launches a new monetization program to attract popular creators from TikTok, YouTube | TechCrunch
• Uber to invest $1.25 billion in Rivian as part of new robotaxi deal | The Verge
• Encyclopedia Britannica is suing OpenAI for allegedly ‘memorizing’ its content with ChatGPT | The Verge
• iPhone Shortcuts Are Way Behind... - YouTube
• LG 77-Inch Class OLED
• Denon AVR-S970H Receiver
• Philips Hue 75" Smart Light Strip
• Philips Hue Play HDMI sync Box 8K
• Philips Hue Compact Smart Light Tube

• (00:00) - Intro

Helping parents upgrade their tech, Office 365 woes, and more.

Our MacBook Neo review, an existential crises on Stephen’s Studio Display XDR, Sonos launches new speakers, Anthropic continues to fight the Depatment of Defense, Meta’s new scam safeguards, Grammarly’s AI mess, Ticketmaster is the mafia, and Stephen has an existential crises over an OLED TV.

• Ad-Free + Bonus Episodes
• Show Notes via Email
• Creative Effort - Jason's Podcast
• Watch on YouTube!
• Join the Community
• Email Us: [email protected]
• @stephenrobles on Threads
• @jasonaten on Threads

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Links from the show

• Jason's MacBook Neo Reviwew
• i tried editing 4K video on the $599 MacBook Neo - YouTube
• Stephen's XDR Unboxing and Set Up - YouTube
• Jason on Grammarly Debacle
• RAM® Mounts
• MacBook Neo Review - YouTube
• M5 Max MacBook Pro + XDR Display: Worth the upgrade? - YouTube
• Why the iPhone 17e is Genius. - YouTube
• MKBHD's Galaxy S26 Review - YouTube
• Anthropic Sues Department of Defense Over Supply-Chain-Risk Designation | WIRED
• Grammarly is turning off the expert review AI feature that stole our identities | The Verge
• Sonos just launched Play, a new $299 portable speaker | The Verge
• Meta acquires Moltbook, the Reddit-like network for AI agents | The Verge
• Meta rolls out new scam detection tools to Facebook, WhatsApp, and Messenger | TechCrunch
• Google’s Gemini AI is getting a bigger role across Docs, Sheets, and Slides | The Verge
• Live Nation settles government antitrust suit — and dodges a breakup | The Verge
• Ticketmaster Call from The Verge - Instagram
• Taylor Swift fans sue Ticketmaster after Eras Tour ticket sales: NPR
• Bluesky CEO Jay Graber Is Stepping Down | WIRED
• Apple's Smart Home Hub Won't Launch Until September as Siri Remains Unfinished - MacRumors
• 2025 LG 77" G5 4K OLED evo TV unboxing and wall mounting - YouTube

• (00:00) - Intro

Jason's article made someone...upset.

Everything Apple announced this week including the new M5 lineup, Studio Displays, compare the MacBook Neo vs Air, answer if Apple really did raise prices, plus Anthropic’s tense Pentagon negotiations, Netflix is out of the Warner Bros. deal, and Jason finally tries Claude.

• Ad-Free + Bonus Episodes
• Show Notes via Email
• Creative Effort - Jason's Podcast
• Watch on YouTube!
• Join the Community
• Email Us: [email protected]
• @stephenrobles on Threads
• @jasonaten on Threads

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Sponsors:

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Links from the show

• Everything Apple Released This Week: M5 Lineup, Displays, iPad Air - YouTube
• Apple gives in to temptation and renames its CPU cores - Six Colors
• Displays - Apple
• BenQ Computer Monitor 27"
• MacBook Neo vs MacBook Air: Every Difference Explained - YouTube
• The MacBook Neo May Be Apple’s Most Consequential New Product in a Decade - Inc.com
• Everyone Expected Apple to Raise Prices on Its New Macs. What It Did Instead Was Much Smarter - Inc.com
• Nothing is finally covering up with the slim, metal Phone 4A Pro | The Verge
• Nothing Headphone A review: something worth considering | The Verge
• Headphone (a) | Nothing
• Anthropic makes last-ditch effort to salvage deal with Pentagon after blowup | The Verge
• OpenAI releases GPT-5.3 Instant update to make ChatGPT less 'cringe' - 9to5Mac
• HBO Max-Paramount+ to Combine Streaming Services
• ‎Watch Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars - Apple TV
• AI-generated art can’t be copyrighted after Supreme Court declines to review the rule | The Verge
• Tim Sweeney signed away his right to criticize Google until 2032 | The Verge
• Stephen Robles: Gemini is like the eager assistant - Mastodon

• (00:00) - Intro

Jason wonders if his parents should get MacBook Neo, and Stephen has the solution.

Samsung Galaxy S26 event with new Privacy Display features on the Ultra, will AI finally be able to order DoorDash, Anthropic's Pentagon negotiations, Perplexity Computer announces, Sonos trying to fix its app, and our MAc backup “strategies.”

• Ad-Free + Bonus Episodes
• Show Notes via Email
• Creative Effort - Jason's Podcast
• Watch on YouTube!
• Join the Community
• Email Us: [email protected]
• @stephenrobles on Threads
• @jasonaten on Threads

------------------------------

Sponsors:

• Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at: shopify.com/primary
• 1Password: Secure your small business with 1Password. Learn more at: 1password.com/primarytech

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Links from the show

• Toyota Customer Service
• Apple rolls out age-verification tools worldwide to comply with growing web of child safety laws | TechCrunch
• Samsung Galaxy S26/Ultra Impressions: 1 Crazy Display Feature! - YouTube
• Google Gemini can book an Uber or order food for you with new agentic AI features | The Verge
• Acme Weather
• Inside Anthropic’s existential negotiations with the Pentagon | The Verge
• When Perplexity's Comet AI browser will come to iPhone
• Perplexity may have built a better OpenClaw | The Deep View 
• Apple Can’t Ignore This Anymore - YouTube
• YouTube beefs up its $7.99/month Lite subscription with offline downloads and background play | TechCrunch
• 1Password is going up in price | The Verge
• DJI sues over the FCC’s decision to block new drone imports | The Verge
• Sonos plans to fix its biggest iOS hurdle with a new Live Activities feature - 9to5Mac
• Parachute Backup– Backup Utility for iCloud Drive and iCloud Photos

• (00:00) - Intro

Jason has too many badges.

• Watch the Bonus Episode!

Get an exclusive look at the new Halide Mark III app with developer Ben Sandofsky from Lux.camera! Plus, we discuss AI in photography, C2PA, and the camera used on the moon.

• Watch this episode on YouTube here!

Links from the show

• Inside Looks: A Mark III Preview
• Reality is losing the deepfake war | The Verge
• What is HDR, anyway?
• Most memorable images from D-Day
• Jacques Carelman's Impossible Objects bought to life in all their irrational glory
• Nomad Photo Expeditions
• Leica Content Credentials in the M11-P | Leica Camera US

New Apple hardware coming at March 4 “experience,” Apple Podcasts adding video in iOS 26.4 is more complicated then you think, Google I/O announced, RAM is becoming a real problem, and Amazon Ring may track more than just lost dogs.

• Ad-Free + Bonus Episodes
• Show Notes via Email
• Creative Effort - Jason's Podcast
• Watch on YouTube!
• Join the Community
• Email Us: [email protected]
• @stephenrobles on Threads
• @jasonaten on Threads

------------------------------

Sponsors:

• Transistor.fm: The best podcast host, get 20% OFF your first year of hosting at: transistor.fm/beardfm
• Framer: Start creating for free at framer.com/primary and get 30% OFF an annual Pro plan
• 1Password: Secure your small business with 1Password. Learn more at: 1password.com/primarytech

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Links from the show

• Stephen's Video on Apple Podcasts iOS 26.4 Video
• Apple Event on March 4: Here's What to Expect - MacRumors
• Apple Music in iOS 26.4: Five new features coming to iPhone - 9to5Mac
• iOS 26.4 Brings CarPlay Support for ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini - MacRumors
• tvOS 26.4 adds new 'Continuous Audio Connection' on Apple TV - 9to5Mac
• Apple starts testing end-to-end encrypted RCS messages on iPhone | The Verge
• Apple introduces a new video podcast experience on Apple Podcasts - Apple
• How to publish video on Apple Podcasts - Apple Podcasts for Creators
• Podcast hosting providers - Apple Podcasts for Creators
• Google I/O 2026 set for May 19-20
• Google’s AI music maker is coming to the Gemini app | The Verge
• Google Pixel 10A Impressions: (Never) Seen This Before - YouTube
• Exclusive: OpenAI Has Poached Instagram’s Celebrity Whisperer | Vanity Fair
• OpenClaw founder Peter Steinberger is joining OpenAI | The Verge
• The RAM shortage is coming for everything you care about | The Verge
• Ring cancels Flock deal after dystopian Super Bowl ad prompts mass outrage - Ars Technica
• Ring’s AI-powered Search Party won’t stop at finding lost dogs, leaked email shows | The Verge
• Warner Bros. Discovery Sets Special Meeting Date of March 20, 2026, and Unanimously Recommends Shareholders Vote FOR Netflix Merger; Warner Bros. Discovery to Initiate Discussions with Paramount Skydance for Their Best and Final Offer
• UniFi Travel Router - Ubiquiti Store 
• Stephen Colbert says CBS banned him from airing this James Talarico interview | The Verge
• Airport Codes: The Accidental System - YouTube
• Rep. James Talarico On Confronting Christian Nationalism, And Strange Days In The Texas Legislature - YouTube

• (00:00) - Intro