The M3 series of Apple Silicon chips was recently released by the tech giant, continuing the successful drive of the Mac resurgence post-Intel. However, now with the transition complete, many M1 and M2 machines are now appearing at better price points on Apple’s Certified Refurbished store and third party retailers. Given even the original M1 series of Apple Silicon is still extremely powerful, are refurbished models just straight up better value for Apple users? Steve and Ben discuss these issues, as well as shooting ProRes video on the iPhone 14 Pro Max and managing the large video files through the lightning port.

Comedian Hasan Minhaj recently found himself in a battle for his reputation following an article written by The New Yorker accused him of being false in his stand-up comedy special when highlighting certain political issues. Did The New Yorker cherry pick talking points to shape a narrative to disparage Minhaj, did Minhaj misrepresent himself, or was it a bit of both? Steve and Ben examine this story, as well as Ben’s attendance at the 2023 Melbourne EV show and how the progress of electric vehicles still has a long way to go before they can be a satisfactory replacement to traditional fossil fuel based vehicles.

Creative differences have been used to explain all manner of creative projects falling apart, and this appears to have happened with Jon Stewart and Apple over his talk show, The Problem with Jon Stewart. Steve and Ben discuss this story and how corporate influences overriding creative ideas is a tale as old as time. Steve and Ben also discuss Elon Musk’s plan to put X behind a paywall, as well as how snoozing is a healthy option for some people that find it hard to get up in the morning.

Rumours abound that Netflix will be opening retail stores in the next few years to offer new experiences to its customers. Steve and Ben discuss this potential move and the imperatives of corporations to move beyond their original founding direction in pursuit of growth. Steve and Ben also discuss scientists experimenting to create many different sourdough breads, as well as the incredible potential advances in spintronic computing which could provide a pathway to quantum computing.

Big tech is jumping in to AI across all their products. Recent announcement by Google, Microsoft, and Samsung, with their Pixel 8 phones and accessories,Windows Co-Pilot Features, and Appliance announcements respectively for each company highlight how much big tech is keen to drive AI through their products, but haven’t products had AI of some form in them already? Steve and Ben discuss the AI focus for big tech, as well as their thoughts on Apple’s iOS 17 backporting a key feature back to the iPhone 14 Pros. They also discuss a recent online discussion comparing high profile science communicators Neil deGrasse Tyson and Brian Cox.

Apple has unveiled its new iPhone line for 2023, introducing Grade 5 titanium frames for the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max, a tetra prism 5x camera lens for the latter model, and USB-C ports across the iPhone 15 line-up. Despite these improvements, the Apple event seemed like more of the same this year despite its deftly executed Hollywood production values. Steve and Ben examine the new iPhones and how we are no longer in the world of big year on year changes to these amazing devices we all carry with us. Steve and Ben also discuss the importance of detoxing your digital life.

The Matildas made their country proud by reaching fourth place in the FIFA 2023 Women’s World Cup, cementing themselves in the Australian sporting lexicon as one of the greatest sporting achievements Australia has ever had. Steve and Ben discuss the Matildas’ performance in the world cup and its impact on women’s sport in Australia. Steve and Ben also discuss Donald Trump and the four indictments he is now facing as the 2024 US Presidential Election season is soon to commence, as well as the recent controversies surrounding YouTuber Linus Sebastian and its impact on standards YouTuber content creators may need to consider when producing content.

In what seems one of the most baffling brand name changes of all time, billionaire Elon Musk just unilaterally decided to rebrand Twitter to the letter X. Will this spell the end of Twitter and its social media dominance? Steve and Ben discuss Elon Musk’s decision to make such a radical change to one of the most recognised social media brands, and they also discuss their views on the new season of Star Trek Strange New Worlds, including its infamous musical episode.

Has Mark Zuckerberg discovered an opportunity to steal some of Elon’s Twitter thunder with Threads? Steve and Ben discuss the extraordinary entry of Threads in to the social media sphere and how it may have a shot at taking the crown given Meta’s overall user base and market position. Steve and Ben also discuss the cancellation of the 2026 Commonwealth Games by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, as well as the opening of the new Christopher Nolan film, Oppenheimer.

Between Taylor Swift concert tickets going on a frenzied sale and a 4.6 magnitude earthquake hitting near the city, Melbourne experienced some drama recently. Steve and Ben discuss how earthquakes in Australia have been increasing in frequency in the past few years with a few earthquakes occurring on the East Coast, as well as the issue of scalping at major concert events with many Taylor Swift fans missing out on her concerts. Steve and Ben also discuss the recent news that the WHO may announce that artificial sweetener aspartame may be linked to cancer risks.