AI Tools: What's Actually Working (and What Isn't) with Bill McLean

MacBook Air M5 (13" & 15") First Impressions, iPhone 17 Pro MLS Event, KC Public Schools Go Apple

Both of us did something a little unusual this month: we both walked away with the MacBook Air M5. Tom grabbed the 15-inch for work, Jeff picked up the Midnight Blue 13-inch — and after a couple weeks of use, we've got a lot to say about battery life, setup philosophy, and one genuinely weird bug. This week we cover: * Jeff's "only install what you actually need" setup approach — and why it's working brilliantly * Tom's mysterious MacBook Air lockup issue, and the macOS 26.4 bug that turned out to be the culprit * Jeff's Studio Display needed a reset — turns out it runs a full iOS-based OS, and a simple unplug trick fixes a lot * The Canvas (not Canva!) ransomware hack that hit 9,000+ schools right during finals week * Apple shoots a live MLS game entirely on iPhone 17 Pro — sports history, or marketing stunt? * Apple Card's "free" AirPods Pro 3 promo: the catch hiding in the fine print * Kansas City Public Schools replacing 30,000 Windows PCs and Chromebooks with Apple devices * Apple Sports app now covers the World Cup * Field Notes Explore America notebooks: Tom has a new problem Links from the show: * Buy Jeff's MacBook Pro M2: https://swappa.com/listing/view/LAFC35203 [https://swappa.com/listing/view/LAFC35203] * Field Notes Explore America: fieldnotesbrand.com/products/explore-america [https://fieldnotesbrand.com/products/explore-america] * Apple TV + iPhone 17 Pro MLS broadcast: apple.com/newsroom [https://apple.com/newsroom] * Sign up for Tom's newsletter: tomfanderson.com [https://www.tomfanderson.com] Question or Comment? Send us a Text Message! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2086252/fan_mail/new] Contact Us * Drop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.com [feedback@basicafshow.com] * You’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint [https://www.twitter.com/reyespoint] on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/reyespoint.bsky.social] on Bluesky * Find Tom at @tomanderson [https://www.threads.net/@tomanderson] on Threads * Join Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk [https://www.tomfanderson.com/], for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks. * Tom has a new YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@tomfanderson] channel * Show artwork by the great Randall Martin Design [https://www.randallmartindesign.com] Enjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating! * Review on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/basic-af-a-mostly-tech-podcast/id1666397989] * Rate on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/75Yn8nbRJJ6IYiCwm8U9rm?si=0iZNGNcZSGK7hdhWepwSAA] * Recommend in Overcast Intro Music: Psychokinetics - The Chosen * Apple Music [https://music.apple.com/us/album/seven-league-boots/74318419] * Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/album/4TPQ8N4QXSmrcURMcXXxzS?si=wW_EHIsXSFKufH-38fzi7A] Transcripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.

Mac Mini Gets Pricier, Siri Payout, and iOS 27 Rumors

There's a lot happening in Apple land right now. Mac mini prices just went up, a Siri class action settlement might land in your inbox soon, and a fresh iOS 27 rumor has some good news for anyone who'd rather talk to Claude than ChatGPT. Tom and Jeff break it all down. In this episode: * Apple Notes tips: how search really works, Smart Folders, and ProNotes — a free plugin that brings markdown and slash commands to the Notes app * Mac mini's base model is gone — the entry price jumps to $799, and Tim Cook says supply constraints won't recover for several months * Apple Education Store now requires UNiDAYS verification, and Apple Watch just joined the discount program * iOS 27 rumor: you may soon choose Claude or Gemini as your Apple Intelligence AI instead of ChatGPT * Apple's $250M Siri lawsuit settlement — if you own an iPhone 15 Pro or 16 series, you might be owed $25–$95 * M5 MacBook Air first impressions: Jeff's testing one alongside his MacBook Pro — and Tom's university just ordered 100 of them Links from the show: * Apple Notes: Four Tips That Make Finding Things Effortless [https://www.tomfanderson.com/p/apple-notes-four-features-worth-setting-up] * Four Fast Ways to Capture to Apple Notes [https://www.tomfanderson.com/p/how-to-quickly-capture-notes-on-iphone-and-apple-watch]  * ProNotes (free Apple Notes plugin) [https://www.pronotes.app]  * Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor [https://amzn.to/4tUEGh8]  * Playworld by Adam Ross [https://amzn.to/4dgf9bi]  We'd be honored if you'd drop a 5-star rating for us on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify! Question or Comment? Send us a Text Message! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2086252/fan_mail/new] Contact Us * Drop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.com [feedback@basicafshow.com] * You’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint [https://www.twitter.com/reyespoint] on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/reyespoint.bsky.social] on Bluesky * Find Tom at @tomanderson [https://www.threads.net/@tomanderson] on Threads * Join Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk [https://www.tomfanderson.com/], for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks. * Tom has a new YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@tomfanderson] channel * Show artwork by the great Randall Martin Design [https://www.randallmartindesign.com] Enjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating! * Review on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/basic-af-a-mostly-tech-podcast/id1666397989] * Rate on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/75Yn8nbRJJ6IYiCwm8U9rm?si=0iZNGNcZSGK7hdhWepwSAA] * Recommend in Overcast Intro Music: Psychokinetics - The Chosen * Apple Music [https://music.apple.com/us/album/seven-league-boots/74318419] * Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/album/4TPQ8N4QXSmrcURMcXXxzS?si=wW_EHIsXSFKufH-38fzi7A] Transcripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.

AI Tools: What's Actually Working (and What Isn't) with Bill McLean

Big news out of Cupertino: Tim Cook is stepping down as CEO, with hardware engineering chief John Ternus set to take the helm this September. Tom and Jeff spend a few minutes on the transition — then welcome back guest Bill McLean for an honest, no-hype check-in on AI tools: what they're actually using, what's working, and where the marketing is writing checks the technology can't cash. In this episode: * The Tim Cook → John Ternus CEO handoff and what a hardware guy at the top might mean for Apple's software * Which AI platforms Tom and Bill settled on, and why ChatGPT got dropped * Claude Co-Work in real life: web scraping, YouTube analytics, and why you still have to babysit it * The "dopamine hit" problem: why AI-generated ideas can kill your motivation to actually do the work * How Bill replaced his Squarespace subscription using Claude Code with zero coding background * Why context might be AI's real superpower and why Apple could have the biggest edge * MCP integrations worth building: Readwise, Craft, Apple Reminders * Why Claude projects and skills outperformed an Obsidian vault for real workflow results * A must-read New Yorker profile on Sam Altman Links from the show: * Bill McLean on YouTube: youtube.com/@BillMcLean [https://www.youtube.com/@BillMcLean] * Sam Altman May Control Our Future—Can He Be Trusted? [https://apple.news/AuaEiB2A9RdCMXHktCmKFWA] - The New Yorker Question or Comment? Send us a Text Message! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2086252/fan_mail/new] Contact Us * Drop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.com [feedback@basicafshow.com] * You’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint [https://www.twitter.com/reyespoint] on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/reyespoint.bsky.social] on Bluesky * Find Tom at @tomanderson [https://www.threads.net/@tomanderson] on Threads * Join Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk [https://www.tomfanderson.com/], for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks. * Tom has a new YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@tomfanderson] channel * Show artwork by the great Randall Martin Design [https://www.randallmartindesign.com] Enjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating! * Review on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/basic-af-a-mostly-tech-podcast/id1666397989] * Rate on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/75Yn8nbRJJ6IYiCwm8U9rm?si=0iZNGNcZSGK7hdhWepwSAA] * Recommend in Overcast Intro Music: Psychokinetics - The Chosen * Apple Music [https://music.apple.com/us/album/seven-league-boots/74318419] * Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/album/4TPQ8N4QXSmrcURMcXXxzS?si=wW_EHIsXSFKufH-38fzi7A] Transcripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.

Mac Mini & Mac Studio Shortages, Kindle Cutoffs & Four Things Worth Knowing About iOS 26.4

Tom and Jeff dig into why it's getting harder and harder to buy a Mac mini or Mac Studio in anything beyond a base configuration — and what that might mean about upcoming M5 refreshes. Plus, Jeff gives a six-month health update (he's at 92% and back on stage), and the guys get into a friendly debate about Amazon pulling the plug on pre-2012 Kindles. Is it reasonable after 14 years, or does it prove physical books always win? And they wrap up with four things to know about iOS 26.4. Topics covered: * Mac mini and Mac Studio availability issues and what's behind the long wait times * MacBook Neo demand and Bill McLean's hands-on review * Jeff's updated take on the BookTracker app * Amazon deprecating pre-2012 Kindles — and what it means for your digital library * The Libby app and library cards for free books * Merriam-Webster's Visual Dictionary (Jeff's new obsession) * iOS 26.4: keyboard accuracy improvements, Urgent Reminders update, Stolen Device Protection, and AI apps in CarPlay * Resetting your keyboard dictionary after updating Links from the show: * BookTracker app: https://booktrack.app [https://booktrack.app/] * Libby app: https://libbyapp.com [https://libbyapp.com/] * Bill McLean's MacBook Neo review [https://youtu.be/im9E7FRyvtU?si=vMELxbsY7SjZpXPs] * Apple Talk newsletter (keyboard reset tip): https://www.tomfanderson.com/p/ios-26-4-iphone-keyboard-fix [https://www.tomfanderson.com/p/ios-26-4-iphone-keyboard-fix] * Merriam-Webster's Visual Dictionary [https://shop.merriam-webster.com/products/merriam-websters-visual-dictionary-second-edition?srsltid=AfmBOopX4-Wti49C6BfReNrXn0g_SXf5a49aQzHAENKtveXApfAB1dbG] We’d be honored if you'd drop a 5-star rating for us on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify! Question or Comment? Send us a Text Message! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2086252/fan_mail/new] Contact Us * Drop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.com [feedback@basicafshow.com] * You’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint [https://www.twitter.com/reyespoint] on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/reyespoint.bsky.social] on Bluesky * Find Tom at @tomanderson [https://www.threads.net/@tomanderson] on Threads * Join Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk [https://www.tomfanderson.com/], for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks. * Tom has a new YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@tomfanderson] channel * Show artwork by the great Randall Martin Design [https://www.randallmartindesign.com] Enjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating! * Review on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/basic-af-a-mostly-tech-podcast/id1666397989] * Rate on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/75Yn8nbRJJ6IYiCwm8U9rm?si=0iZNGNcZSGK7hdhWepwSAA] * Recommend in Overcast Intro Music: Psychokinetics - The Chosen * Apple Music [https://music.apple.com/us/album/seven-league-boots/74318419] * Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/album/4TPQ8N4QXSmrcURMcXXxzS?si=wW_EHIsXSFKufH-38fzi7A] Transcripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.

MacBook Neo Real-World Review with Nate Gorby

Nate Gorby is back — and this time he's got two weeks of daily MacBook Neo use to report on. Coming from an M2 MacBook Air he'd already sold, Nate picked up the Neo on day one and has been using it the way most people actually use computers: browsing, email, watching YouTube, light social media, and a bit of writing. No benchmarks, no synthetic tests — just honest, real-world impressions. The guys dig into the details: battery life, the lack of MagSafe and Touch ID, the physical trackpad experience, speaker quality, the color-matched interface quirks, and whether 8GB of RAM is actually fine (spoiler: it is).  They also cover WWDC 2026 dates, the 26.4 updates, and Apple's decision to discontinue the Mac Pro. In this episode: * Nate's daily use case: browsing, YouTube, Threads, light writing, some photo editing * The physical trackpad vs. the haptic trackpad on his wife's M4 MacBook Air * Living without Touch ID and why Apple Watch makes it a non-issue (mostly) * No backlit keyboard: why the Citrus color's white keys are a natural workaround * Battery life: good enough? * Why 8GB of RAM is genuinely fine * MagSafe as the one real missing piece * Target now selling the MacBook Neo — and what that means for reaching new Mac buyers * The education discount trick (you didn't hear it from them) * Speaker quality: surprisingly good for spoken word * WWDC 26 announced * 26.4 updates now available — keyboard improvements for iPhone * Mac Pro discontinued; the Mac Studio is now the top of the line Links from the show: * Nate's previous episode (Meta Ray-Ban glasses) [https://www.basicafshow.com/81] * Apple Announces WWDC 2026 Dates [https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2026/03/apples-worldwide-developers-conference-returns-the-week-of-june-8/] More from Nate: Last Month Online https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/last-month-online/id1824514139 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/last-month-online/id1824514139] Nate on Threads: https://www.threads.com/@ngorby [https://www.threads.com/@ngorby?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==] Nate on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ngorby [https://www.instagram.com/ngorby] Question or Comment? Send us a Text Message! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2086252/fan_mail/new] Contact Us * Drop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.com [feedback@basicafshow.com] * You’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint [https://www.twitter.com/reyespoint] on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/reyespoint.bsky.social] on Bluesky * Find Tom at @tomanderson [https://www.threads.net/@tomanderson] on Threads * Join Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk [https://www.tomfanderson.com/], for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks. * Tom has a new YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@tomfanderson] channel * Show artwork by the great Randall Martin Design [https://www.randallmartindesign.com] Enjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating! * Review on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/basic-af-a-mostly-tech-podcast/id1666397989] * Rate on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/75Yn8nbRJJ6IYiCwm8U9rm?si=0iZNGNcZSGK7hdhWepwSAA] * Recommend in Overcast Intro Music: Psychokinetics - The Chosen * Apple Music [https://music.apple.com/us/album/seven-league-boots/74318419] * Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/album/4TPQ8N4QXSmrcURMcXXxzS?si=wW_EHIsXSFKufH-38fzi7A] Transcripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.