Basic AF: a (mostly) tech podcast

In this special holiday episode of Basic AF, Jeff Battersby and Tom Anderson share their favorite picks from 2024, blending tech, books, music, and apps. The duo kicks off with lighthearted banter about recording struggles, holiday vibes, and their signature cranky humor before diving into their curated favorites.Jeff highlights the Beetle X31 SSD, a sleek and reliable portable storage device, and shares his literary recommendations, including If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio, Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, and James by Percival Everett, each rich with thematic connections to classic literature. Tom, on the other hand, spotlights Craft 3, an app redefining productivity with database-like collections, the excellent Capital Centre: A Retrospective, and the Anker USB-C Charger, offering versatile charging solutions for multiple devices.The episode also explores cultural gems like The Mars Volta’s self-titled album, the whimsical Festivitas app, which decks out the Mac menu bar and dock with festive holiday lights, and more!Links:Beetle X31 SSD https://ssd.skhynix.com/beetle_x31/If We Were Villains: A Novel https://www.amazon.com/If-We-Were-Villains-Novel/Demon Copperhead https://amzn.to/4iuPP2PJames https://amzn.to/3VtSuA2The Mars Volta https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-mars-volta/1636983430Craft 3 https://www.craft.do/v3Question or Comment? Send us a Text Message!Contact Us Drop us a line at [email protected] You’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social on Bluesky Find Tom at @tomanderson on Threads Join Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk, for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks. Tom has a new YouTube channel Show artwork by the great Randall Martin Design Enjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating! Review on Apple Podcasts Rate on Spotify Recommend in Overcast Intro Music: Psychokinetics - The Chosen Apple Music Spotify Show transcripts and episode artwork are AI generated and likely contain errors and general si...

In our 50th episode, Chris Freitag returns to explore the world of iPhone 16 Pro photography. We discuss the new Camera Control features and usability in real-world scenarios, and how Apple’s new Photographic Styles tools can elevate your mobile photography. The conversation also covers the latest December OS updates, Apple’s acquisition of Pixelmator and its impact on creative workflows, and a closer look at Chris’s favorite gear and techniques for capturing stunning shots.Links from the show:A new home for Pixelmator: https://www.pixelmator.com/blog/2024/11/01/a-new-home-for-pixelmator.htmliPhone 17 'Air' Expected to Be ~2mm Thinner Than iPhone 16 Pro:  https://www.macrumors.com/2024/12/06/iphone-17-air-2mm-thinner/Chris Freitag - iPhone 16 Pro from a Fujifilm Perspective:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyCGkREK1BEChris's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChrisFreitagOther Places to Find Chris:Website: https://chrisfreitag.comGlass: https://glass.photo/freitagThreads: https://www.threads.net/@chrisfreitagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisfreitag/Mastodon: https://photog.social/@freitagQuestion or Comment? Send us a Text Message!Contact Us Drop us a line at [email protected] You’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social on Bluesky Find Tom at @tomanderson on Threads Join Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk, for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks. Tom has a new YouTube channel Show artwork by the great Randall Martin Design Enjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating! Review on Apple Podcasts Rate on Spotify Recommend in Overcast Intro Music: Psychokinetics - The Chosen Apple Music Spotify Show transcripts and episode artwork are AI generated and likely contain errors and general si...

In this episode of Basic AF, hosts Tom Anderson and Jeff Battersby welcome back Gannon Nordberg for a jam-packed conversation. Mark Gurman says Apple is working on a more conversational Siri, similar to ChatGPT's Voice mode, plus there are new critical OS updates.Gear up for the holidays with Gannon’s top travel tech tips, including must-have gadgets like the Anker Nano charger, Twelve South Butterly charger, and VEEKTOMX Mini Power Bank. Discover tools for better travel photography, apps to beat jet lag, and the ultimate travel bag recommendations to stay organized on the go.Plus, Gannon shares highlights from his recent trip to Australia and introduces his FREE 5-day crash course to help you build the perfect family travel tech kit—featuring over 35 products designed to keep your travel stress-free and fun.🎉 Get started on Lesson 1: https://buildafamilytraveltechkit.comSign up for Gannon's course to get his complete list of 35 great travel-friendly accessories! Find Gannon on Threads and LinkedIn!Links:•Apple Readies More Conversational LLM Siri in Bid to Rival OpenAI’s ChatGPT•Apple Support - Troubleshooting Article•iOS 18.1.1 Update Warning Issued to All iPhone Users•Eagle Creek Pack-It Gear Pouch•Anker Nano 3 47W Charger•Twelve South ButterFly SE 2-in-1 Qi2 Charger•VEEKTOMX Mini Power Bank 10000mAhSorry, we ran out of room! Find the full list of links at https://basicafshow.com/49.Question or Comment? Send us a Text Message!Contact Us Drop us a line at [email protected] You’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social on Bluesky Find Tom at @tomanderson on Threads Join Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk, for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks. Tom has a new YouTube channel Show artwork by the great Randall Martin Design Enjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating! Review on Apple Podcasts Rate on Spotify Recommend in Overcast Intro Music: Psychokinetics - The Chosen Apple Music Spotify Show transcripts and episode artwork are AI generated and likely contain errors and general si...

Join Tom Anderson and Jeff Battersby in this episode as they unpack Apple’s latest announcements, with a nostalgic nod to an internet legend. Highlights include:Farewell, Elwood “You’ve Got Mail!” EdwardsThe voice that welcomed us to the internet in the ’90s, Elwood Edwards, has passed. Tom and Jeff share memories of the AOL era.New M4 iMacs: Fresh Colors and Powerful SpecsApple’s M4 iMac arrives with updated colors, an impressive 4.5K Retina display, and options for more RAM. Tom and Jeff discuss why this all-in-one might be ideal for families, creatives, and anyone looking for a sleek desktop.USB-C "Magic" AccessoriesThe new USB-C Magic Keyboard, Trackpad, and Mouse sparked mixed feelings. Jeff gets into the eternal frustration of charging the mouse from the bottom.A New, Smaller Mac miniApple’s refreshed Mac mini offers big power in a smaller package, with Jeff calling it one of Apple’s best designs yet.Updated MacBook Pro 14” and 16” ModelsNow available with M4 Pro and M4 Max chips, these MacBook Pros pack serious horsepower.Apple Intelligence: What’s Good and What Needs WorkWrapping up with a deep dive into the latest Apple Intelligence features, Tom and Jeff explore the promise and quirks of Apple’s on-device AI. They break down highlights, including:Writing Tools for proofreading, adjusting tone, summaries, and list generation.Siri Enhancements with context awareness between requests.Summaries across Mail, Safari, and Notifications for quick info bites.Links from the show:AOL’s ‘You’ve Got Mail’ voice, Elwood Edwards, dies at age 74: https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/7/24290700/elwood-edwards-aol-youve-got-mail-voice-obituaryiMac:  https://www.apple.com/imac/Mac mini:  https://www.apple.com/mac-mini/MacBook Pro:  https://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/Apple Intelligence:  https://www.apple.com/apple-intelliQuestion or Comment? Send us a Text Message!Contact Us Drop us a line at [email protected] You’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social on Bluesky Find Tom at @tomanderson on Threads Join Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk, for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks. Tom has a new YouTube channel Show artwork by the great Randall Martin Design Enjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating! Review on Apple Podcasts Rate on Spotify Recommend in Overcast Intro Music: Psychokinetics - The Chosen Apple Music Spotify Show transcripts and episode artwork are AI generated and likely contain errors and general si...