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Upgrade

Relaywww.relay.fm
Upgrade looks at how technology shapes our lives, from the devices in our hands and pockets to the streaming services that keep us entertained. Hosted by Jason Snell and Myke Hurley.

Episodes

439: The 2022 Upgradies

As the year comes to an end, it's time for the Ninth Annual Upgradies! Myke and Jason discuss their favorites of 2022, take the input of many Upgradians, and hand out awards in numerous categories! Only the finest will walk away with the most coveted of titles: Upgradies Winner.

Dec 26, 20222 hr 5 minEp. 439

438: Holiday Antitrust Special

It's the most wonderful time of the year, but the news doesn't stop! We discuss next year's Mac lineup, the end of Apple's NFL Sunday Ticket negotiations, and reports that Apple is planning to open up the iOS app ecosystem in response to new rules from the European Union. But before we're done, we also take a little time out to re-tell our Apple origin stories. Happy holidays to all Upgradians!

Dec 19, 20222 hr 1 minEp. 438

437: Luxury Car for Nerds

Myke has returned, and so have the Apple Car rumors. But before we try to figure those out, we've got to consider Apple's encryption announcements, Tim Cook's appearance at a chip factory in Arizona, and John Siracusa's appearance in our shared show document.

Dec 12, 20222 hr 30 minEp. 437

436: I Bend So Many Spoons

John Siracusa returns to the show to chat about Jason's recent visit to his house, Mac app development, Apple's brain drain, TSMC breaking ground in Arizona, the problems with AI training models, the current state of macOS, and what makes a Good Product.

Dec 06, 20222 hr 18 minEp. 436

435: OS 8, Not So Great

John Gruber joins Jason on Upgrade for the first time. Topics include eWorld, Apple's iPhone production problems in China, FIFA and Qatar and the World Cup, the reasons behind Apple's sports ambitions, BBEdit, regular expressions, Perl and Python, MarsEdit, nanotexture displays, webcams, and the state of the art in ADB-to-USB adapters. Happy Cyber Monday to all those who celebrate!

Nov 29, 20222 hr 25 minEp. 435

434: Bob to Bob to Bob

There's some huge news from the world of streaming, as Disney switches bosses and Apple plans its next wave of sports-streaming products. Meanwhile, Myke's busy building out his smart home while Jason has been reminded of the fragility of smart-home networking.

Nov 21, 20221 hr 25 minEp. 434

433: The Lava Lamp is Not Responding

Let's get real about the Apple VR headset. Is it really coming next year? What's it going to look like? What features should it have? What lessons can Apple learn from Meta's foray into VR products? We break it all down. Also, we've got home automation on our minds in various ways, as a smart switch fails Jason, Myke seeks advice, and it's beginning to look a lot like expensive fairy-light season.

Nov 14, 20221 hr 20 minEp. 433

432: Upgrade (With Special Offers)

The strong dollar is helping to drive up Apple's prices around the world, but is it teaching the company that high prices don't matter? Also, Apple downgrades our favorite tvOS feature, Apple gets into the TV ad game, and iPhone production grinds to a halt.

Nov 07, 20221 hr 25 minEp. 432

431: Charty Charty Money Charts

Apple and the Mac had another record quarter, but there are some serious questions about slowing growth in services and what it means for Apple's future strategies. This leads naturally into a discussion of Apple sticking ads all over the App Store and changing its App Store guidelines again. And Myke has taken Stage Manager for a spin on macOS Ventura.

Oct 31, 20222 hr 32 minEp. 431

430: Other Kickstands Are Available

Jason's got new reviews of macOS Ventura, the tenth-generation iPad, and the M2 iPad Pro. We discuss Stage Manager, System Settings, the Magic Keyboard Folio, and the curious pace and nature of iPad innovations.

Oct 24, 20222 hr 10 minEp. 430

429: Freedom Doors

This week we praise trackpad gestures, condemn Google's Matter strategy, ponder whether looks matter when it comes to VR headsets, and think big thoughts about the AirPods Pro 2. Then it's time for some final prognosticating about what products Apple might be introducing in the next few weeks.

Oct 17, 20221 hr 27 minEp. 429

428: (2)

What's in a name? Myke and Jason wrestle with what to call a rumored new Apple display and whether "laptop" is better than "notebook." Also, Matter is almost here to save us from our smart homes, the USB-C iPhone approaches, and Jason tries to keep mini magic alive.

Oct 10, 20222 hr 39 minEp. 428

427: He Renounced Lederhosen

It's pretty late in the game, but Stage Manager on iPadOS keeps changing--most lately adding support for older iPad Pros while temporarily dropping support for external displays. What's going on, and where does it go from here? Meanwhile, Apple execs take a European tour, allowing us to marvel at Eddy Cue's energy and wonder at the surprising company Tim keeps.

Oct 03, 20221 hr 20 minEp. 427

426: Splash Hit!

Jason reviews the iPhone 14, we speculate about how Apple could make an October Mac event worth having, Myke solves his iPhone migration problems, and we answer your Dynamic Island questions!

Sep 26, 20222 hr 52 minEp. 426

425: This Intelligent Blob

After reviewing the iPhone 14 Pro and discussing the pros and cons of the Dynamic Island and the new 48MP camera, Jason and Myke discuss the current pace of upgrades and innovation across all of Apple's product lines.

Sep 19, 20222 hr 41 minEp. 425

424: Das Pro Plus Max Ultra

Five days later, we take stock of last week's Apple announcements, disclose our pre-orders, ponder future changes to the iPhone product line, and discuss our favorite features of iOS 16.

Sep 12, 20222 hr 38 minEp. 424

423: Ultra Wednesday

Apple has unveiled four new iPhones, new Apple Watches (including the new Apple Watch Ultra), and a new generation of AirPods Pro. Jason reports straight from the event--and still on the Apple Park campus!--as we break down all the details.

Sep 08, 20222 hr 34 minEp. 423

422: The 2022 September Event Draft

Jason and Myke predict what will happen at next week's Apple media event. What new features will the new iPhones have--and will they be more expensive? Will the Apple Watch expand? And what other surprises might propel one of us to a decisive draft victory?

Aug 29, 20221 hr 17 minEp. 422

421: Summer of Automation

Before the sun sets on the Summer of Fun, Jason has rounded up three Apple automation experts--Federico Viticci, Rosemary Orchard, and Matthew Cassinelli--to discuss the present and future of user automation on Apple's platforms. Also, Myke and Jason debate the iOS 16 music scrubber.

Aug 22, 20222 hr 1 minEp. 421

420: I Don't Want Your Jolly Ranchers

What bothers Jason more, bad candy or App Store ads? Tough call. We also discuss some possible iPhone price hikes, Jason's HomeKit (sort of) cameras, a return to macOS Ventura, and the pronunciation of Apple silicon.

Aug 15, 20222 hr 33 minEp. 420

419: Modemtown

Thanks to the M2 MacBook Air, Myke has decided to live a two-laptop lifestyle. We ponder the rumored delay of iPadOS 16, whether it's a good or bad thing, and what form a new iPad Pro might take.

Aug 08, 20221 hr 21 minEp. 419

418: Cocktail of Headwinds

This week Jason and Myke take a closer look at Apple's weird quarterly results, which reassured Wall Street while not being altogether reassuring. Then automotive expert Sam Abuelsamid joins Jason to talk about what Apple's WWDC 2022 announcement of a new integrated CarPlay might actually mean if and when it arrives late next year.

Aug 01, 20222 hr 32 minEp. 418

417: The Verticals

In this special Summer of Fun episode, Jason and Myke welcome three special guests to discuss how development, accessibility, and widgets have been affected by Apple's latest operating-system cycle.

Jul 25, 20222 hr 53 minEp. 417

416: Shout-out to Bridget Knight

Myke and Jason both have new M2 MacBook Airs, so it's time for our full review. Jason opens the Stocks app for the first time in ages. Jony Ive's long fade-out from Apple is completed. And in honor of World Emoji Day, we select our favorite emojis in seven categories.

Jul 18, 20221 hr 29 minEp. 416

415: My Body Is My Studio, My Exercises Are My Canvas

Apple's iOS, macOS, and iPadOS betas have gone public and we have our first impressions! Also, the M2 MacBook Air has gone on sale, the new "extreme sports" Apple Watch is coming into focus, and for the Summer of Fun we're drafting favorite app icons.

Jul 11, 20222 hr 46 minEp. 415

414: The Meat Seems Questionable

This July 4 Jason spends some time away from the grill to discuss charity shops, stroopwafels, and the differences between the U.S. and the UK. Meanwhile, Myke has been inspired to build his own iPad-based status board. Vive la différence, as they say in yet another country.

Jul 04, 20222 hr 50 minEp. 414

413: Tall Is Small

For the Summer of Fun, Jason and Myke compare their iPhones--one's Max, one's Mini, but which one has the most apps and which one has the most photos? Also, Mark Gurman's got our next 75 episodes plotted out thanks to his detailed dump of future Apple product announcements, Jason is unenthusiastic about the M2 MacBook Pro, and Justin did it.

Jun 27, 20222 hr 32 minEp. 413

412: Justin, Don't Do It

This week we consider Stage Manager and how it works, as well as how Apple has chosen to communicate its decision-making. Also, Apple makes a surprising deal with Major League Soccer, Myke decides that an iPad Studio and MacBook Studio sound like great new products, and we dare to ask the question: what if they made a laptop entirely out of legacy nodes?

Jun 21, 20221 hr 20 minEp. 412

411: 180% Different for Me

It's the aftermath of a WWDC like no other, so in this very special episode Myke and Jason kick off the Summer of Fun with an episode recorded live in the California sun. The breeze is blowing, the questions about the M2 processor and Stage Manager are flowing, and we're trying to get our heads around what last week's announcements mean for the future of Apple's platforms.

Jun 12, 20222 hr 57 minEp. 411

410: Apple Park Vibe Check

Live from Apple Park, Jason has a first-hand report from the WWDC Keynote. (Myke was nearby, but that’s a whole other story.) Together they discuss groundbreaking iPad news, the new M2 Macbook Air, some familiar iPhone lock screen customization features, and a whole lot more.

Jun 07, 20222 hr 47 minEp. 410