On the third day of Christmas my true love sent to me,

That’s right folks, it’s the 2024 Holiday Spectacular.

This week: Inside Bob Iger’s NBA, Italian smart lights, and the lump of coal that is Apple Intelligence (so far). 🪨.

Links:

• Apple Intelligence notification summaries are honestly pretty bad - Ars Technica
• Philips Hue Festavia 65-Foot 250-LED Smart String Lights White and Color Ambiance 585307 - Best Buy
• Philips Hue unlocks multi-bridge support - Hueblog.com
• ‘Inside the NBA’ to continue on ABC and ESPN as part of TNT-NBA settlement - The Athletic
• With landmark ‘Inside the NBA’ trade, ESPN and boss Jimmy Pitaro win big - The Athletic
• ESPN is coming to the Disney Plus app starting today - The Verge
• Comcast Greenlights $7 Billion Spinoff of NBCUniversal Cable Channels - WSJ
• Amazon announces new Echo Show 21 and Echo Show 15 smart displays - The Verge
• Flighty — A new way to track flights

“Dear Mr. Hanks,

We immediately demand you cease and desist all future activity related to conveying a specific date as to when aging really hits you like a ton of bricks. Or give us some of that Forest Gump money.”

This week: make it a Blockbuster night. 🏎️

Links:

• Half Translucent Electronics
• vtech Translucent Phone
• Used VHS Tapes
• I’m building a VHS store in my basement. : VHS
• Apple AI notification summaries exist; rarely useful, often hilarious - The Verge
• Apple updates the MacBook Pro with M4 Pro and M4 Max chips - The Verge
• Megan Piphus | Behind the scenes of Sesame Street season 54 playing basketball. I was working on my paperwork to start filming season 55 and teared up.... | Instagram
• 35 Is the Worst Age, According to Tom Hanks

Kinda nice of Apple to spend the week before the election giving us all little bite size Mac updates as a distraction. Wait, new notification hold on.

From the NYT: “Here’s why the Mac mini power button is bad news for Harris amongst undecided voters.”

ffs.

This week: cracklin’ lattes, Excel productivity, and defunct startups. ☕

Links:

• Tungle launches non-annoying scheduling service - CNET
• Honestly, this is a work of art. - The Verge
• 💙💛 Alan D 💙💛 on X: "not today excel. https://t.co/NYqmRznMBz" / X
• Exclusive | NBCUniversal to Stream Local Sports on Peacock, in Bid for Cord-Cutters - WSJ
• Diamond, FanDuel reach naming rights deal for regional sports networks
• Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh - Wikipedia
• Nothing made you happier than seeing this when walking into a classroom as a kid.. : funny
• Apple updates the iMac with new colors and an M4 chip - The Verge
• Mac mini - Apple
• Introducing the all-new Mac mini | Apple - YouTube
• Apple Intelligence is here, but it still has a lot to learn - The Verge
• iOS 18.2 with new Apple Intelligence features coming in December, Apple confirms - 9to5Mac
• Prop Fest 2024 | KQED

How long until we have the Chipotle Burrito Assembly Line by Fisher Price® on every five year old’s Christmas list i mean really now.

This week: Bay Area childless dog man parenting corner, EV door handles as a troubling metaphor, and Ryan backslides into his dangerous case-free lifestyle. 🐣.

Links:

• Amazon.com: Amazon Delivery Van Ride On Toy for Kids, Blue Toddler Ride on Toy for Ages 2+, Amazon Exclusive : Toys & Games
• Favorite Day Target Store Sugar Cookie Kit Ready To Build BB 05/24 | eBay
• Target Toy Shopping Cart : Target
• Sonos announces ‘breakthrough’ Arc Ultra soundbar and Sub 4 - The Verge
• iPhone 16 Pro review: Control before Intelligence – Six Colors
• 2024 IONIQ 5 | Electric SUV, Overview | Hyundai USA
• Electronics Recycling - Computer & Technology Resource CenterComputer & Technology Resource Center

The kids want media that’s quicker, more concise, and timely. That’s why we’re introducing the podcast equivalent of baseball’s pitch clock: “one quick thought”. Judging by the episode length, it’s a work in progress.

This week: spiced is the new spiked, freemium is the new spon-con, and brining some Barlow energy to Waterloo.💦.

Links:

• Coca-Cola Spiced is getting canceled after 7 months on the market | AP News
• Forbidden Mountain Dew : forbiddensnacks
• Did Someone Say Pumpkin’ Spiked? Dunkin’® Adds Boozy Spin on Fall Classic to Line of Spiked Iced Coffee Beverages | Dunkin'
• Apple Podcasts adds The New York Times to subscription program, boosting revenue with paywalled shows - 9to5Mac
• Marques Brownlee's ‘Panels’ Backlash, Explained
• Amazon.com: Kasa Smart Plug Mini 15A, Apple HomeKit Supported, Smart Outlet Works with Siri, Alexa & Google Home, UL Certified, App Control, Scheduling, Timer, 2.4G WiFi Only, 4 Count (Pack of 1) (EP25P4), White : Patio, Lawn & Garden

Two great tastes that taste great together, or a sign of a nation on the decline? The proof is in the faux-crème filling.

This week: Steve Ballmer wants your face, Tim Cook wants your money, and Mela wants your recipes. 🏀.

Links:

• Apple TV Remote Stand | Studio Neat
• Reeder: A New Approach to Following Feeds - MacStories
• Mela - Recipe Manager on the App Store
• @acedtect • Face ID at the Intuit dome works. Didn’t need to take my phone out of my pocket until I went to... • Threads
• Intuit Dome leaning on facial authentication for ticketing and concession transactions - Stadium Tech Report
• The Dome Is Watching You - The Atlantic
• New LA Clippers Intuit Dome Is Steve Ballmer’s Passion Project - Bloomberg
• Beats teases all-new Powerbeats Pro 2 coming next year - 9to5Mac
• Apple Watch Series 10 - Apple
• Apple Watch Series 10 review: bigger, thinner, smarter — lite
• iPhone - Apple
• AirPods - Apple
• Apple AirPods 4 Hands-On Review: Your Best New Buds - WSJ
• Apple AirPods 4 review: defying expectations - The Verge
• @cgomez • The thing about Apple Events that’s so odd to me is that they showcase San Francisco so heavily... • Threads
• Spiced Apple - Waterloo Sparkling Water

Half of this pod is now just stanning for future Cy Young award paw-cipiant Decoy Ohtani. The other host is uh, not a fan.

This week: everyone’s now all caught up on The Bear, Jim Farley personally cancels development of Ryan’s future car, and your perfunctory Apple event speculation. 🚗.

Links:

• Shohei Ohtani's dog, Decoy, throws out the first pitch at a Dodgers game 🥹 - YouTube
• Sonos CEO says the old app can’t be rereleased - The Verge
• Peacock Gained 3 Million Subscribers in Olympics First Week: Antenna - Business Insider
• ESPN Launches ‘Where to Watch’ on ESPN App, ESPN.com - ESPN Press Room U.S.
• An ugly case of 'false balance' in the New York Times
• Ford Cancels Plans for Electric SUV, Expects to Take $1.9 Billion Charge - WSJ
• The EV evolution is going to take longer than we thought - The Verge
• NOLA Craft Instant Coffee Blend | Blue Bottle Coffee
• Ray Ray's Tacos | Austin-Style Tacos and Breakfast Tacos in Napa Valley
• Early Bird Tacos

While the official gold medal count for Team USA sits at 40, let’s make it 41 since Peacock stuck the landing.

This week: Double Stuf collabs, Diners Target Drive Ups and Dives, and the triumphant return of Still or Sparkling. 💦.

Links:

• NBC’s Olympics coverage enjoying a viewership surge, though there’s a caveat - The Athletic
• U.S.-France men’s basketball final averages 19.5 million viewers, most watched gold medal game since 1996 - The Athletic
• Tyrese Haliburton on X: "When you ain’t do nun on the group project and still get an A🏅 https://t.co/xpshYZhMyA" / X
• csb on X: "tyrese haliburton had a photoshoot with his gold medal and his dog & it’s the best thing you’ll see all day https://t.co/U7vOaod0Nb" / X
• Rivian confirms R2 charge port moved for Tesla Supercharger use
• Where to Buy Coca-Cola Oreos and Oreo Coke Zero | FN Dish - Behind-the-Scenes, Food Trends, and Best Recipes : Food Network | Food Network
• OREO x Coca Cola Presale | OREO
• Sonos considers relaunching its old app - The Verge
• Google TV Streamer (4K)
• Judge temporarily blocks Venu sports streamer, siding with Fubo
• TickTick:Todo list, checklist and task manager app for Android, iPhone and Web
• Ginger Citrus Twist - Waterloo Sparkling Water
• Free UPS and USPS shipping software | Pirate Ship
• Amazon.com : Brother QL1110NWB QL-1110NWB Wide Format, Postage and Barcode Professional Thermal Label Printer with Wireless Connectivity, 4" : Office Products
• Best printer 2023: just buy this Brother laser printer everyone has, it’s fine - The Verge

Behind every world class athlete is that friend who starts an Apple Watch workout during boozy brunch. Olympians each in their own right.

This week: Peacock-ing, spritzing, and legacy purchasing. 🦚

Links:

• Le Diplomate
• El Presidente
• HOME | Pie Punks
• Wolf Blitzer on X: "Enjoying a Wolf Spritzer at El Presidente restaurant here in DC. https://t.co/AXFQm7aZ14" / X
• El Presidente's viral Wolf Spritzer cocktail recipe - Axios Washington D.C.
• Mike Isaac's PB&J Take
• Disney, Fox and Warner Sports Streamer Venu to Launch at $42.99/ Month
• New bundle of Disney+, Max, and Hulu launches at $16.99 starting price
• Warner Bros. Discovery Sues N.B.A. Over TV Rights Deal - The New York Times
• Kobo Libra 2 | Rakuten Kobo eReader Store United States
• Tesla TSLA earnings Q2 2024
• GM slows its EV plans again even as sales grow
• I’ve Been Driving an EV for a Year. I Have Only One Regret. - WSJ
• Surprising Calif. chain beats In-N-Out as best fast food burger in US
• Amazon.com: Anker Power Bank Battery Pack, 20,000mAh 22.5W High Speed Charging Portable Charger with Built-in USB C Cable, 1 USB-C, 1 USB-A, for iPhone 15/15 Plus/15 Pro/15 Pro Max, MacBook, Galaxy : Cell Phones & Accessories
• Amazon.com: Anker Zolo Power Bank, 20,000mAh 30W High-Speed Portable Charger with Built-in USB-C Cable, 1 USB-C, 1 USB-A, Battery Pack for iPhone 15/15 Pro/15 Pro Max/15 Plus, MacBook, Galaxy, and More : Cell Phones & Accessories
• Art But Make It Sports (@artbutmakeitsports) • Instagram photos and videos

We’re back from summer break. What’d we miss?

This week: made-up holidays, political realities, and knowing when to walk away. 🛤️.

Links:

• Biden Ice Cream
• @hunterwalk • Lights must be flickering in Brooklyn from equipment power surge for all the EMERGENCY PODS • Threads
• Netflix Keeps Streaming Crown With Continued Subscriber, Revenue Growth - WSJ
• Streaming Churn Rates
• Rivian CEO says CarPlay isn’t going to happen - The Verge
• Rivian: Volkswagen takes $1 billion stake in EV maker
• New York Times to Move Podcasts Behind Paywall - WSJ
• 60 Songs That Explain the '90s - The Ringer