#167: We're Going to Atlanta
<p>This week, Mike and Damashe dig into Earshot build 99, react to WWDC 26, and ask the big question: are AI agent devices actually ready to replace your phone? Spoiler: your ride might end up in the wrong city.</p> <p><strong>What We Talked About</strong></p> <p><strong>Earshot Update - Build 99</strong></p> <ul> <li>The new alphabetical library picker is live, with a count of how many podcasts are under each letter</li> <li>Per-podcast playback speed is now working: set a default speed, override it for individual shows, and it remembers your preference automatically</li> <li>The database migration bug from builds 88-95 is fixed; if your app was spinning and crashing, update to build 99</li> <li>The app now gives you a useful error message instead of just failing silently if something goes wrong with the database</li> <li>If you are on TestFlight and want to send feedback, email feedback@technicallyworking.show - do not use the TestFlight feedback form, because Mike cannot reply to you there</li> <li>To get on the beta, find Michael on Mastodon</li> </ul> <p><strong>Apple Deals Worth Knowing</strong></p> <ul> <li>AirPods Pro 3 spotted at $179 on Amazon, Best Buy, and possibly Walmart</li> <li>AirPods 4 at $99</li> <li>Apple Watch Series 11 (42mm GPS) at $299</li> </ul> <p><strong>WWDC 26 Impressions</strong></p> <ul> <li>Mike went in with low expectations and came out a little underwhelmed</li> <li>Damashe has not watched the keynote but has listened to everyone talk about it</li> <li>Apple showed features live and uncut, which seems intentional - they want to prove the demos are real</li> <li>Certain AI features require M3 Pro or better on Mac, M4 or better on iPad, and iPhone 17 Pro</li> <li>iOS 26 and 27 compatibility stays the same - if your device runs 26 it will run 27, you just may not get all the local AI capabilities</li> <li>Damashe called the OS unification direction, and he would like you to use the hashtag DamasheWasRight accordingly</li> </ul> <p><strong>iOS 27 Safari Notify</strong></p> <ul> <li>Apple Intelligence can now watch a Safari tab and notify you when something changes</li> <li>Steven Robles used it to get notified when the Unify travel router came back in stock</li> <li>Both Mike and Damashe immediately thought: Ubiquiti restocks</li> </ul> <p><strong>Touchscreen MacBook Speculation</strong></p> <ul> <li>Mark Gurman is pointing toward a high-end OLED touchscreen MacBook Pro at a significant price premium</li> <li>Damashe's alternate theory: what if Apple makes a detachable touchscreen MacBook Neo instead of going ultra-premium</li> <li>The Neo already runs macOS on an A18 Pro chip at $600; a touch-capable detachable version aimed at schools and everyday users could make more sense than a $3,200 pro machine</li> <li>Both agree: a MacBook with cellular would be an instant buy, no questions asked</li> </ul> <p><strong>Are AI Agent Devices Ready to Replace Your Phone?</strong></p> <ul> <li>OpenAI is rumored to be working on a new form factor device built around voice interaction</li> <li>Damashe's argument: not yet, for several reasons - apps, authentication, companies not wanting to be commoditized, and the lack of strong local compute</li> <li>Uber and Amazon are not going to sit still while an agent turns them into a background API</li> <li>The local vs. cloud routing problem is real: you need a local model to manage where requests go, and we are not there on mobile yet</li> <li>Both see 2029-2030 as a realistic window for local compute on personal devices being good enough for most tasks</li> <li>The Plaud Pin has been sitting on a nightstand for months as evidence</li> </ul> <p><strong>Siri and Third-Party Mail</strong></p> <ul> <li>Siri can now surface airline reservations when you call airlines</li> <li>Open question: does it work if your reservation is in Gmail or Outlook instead of Apple Mail</li> </ul> <p><strong>Shortcuts Getting Smarter</strong></p> <ul> <li>The new AI-assisted Shortcuts builder could be the most useful thing in iOS 27 if it actually works</li> <li>Federico Viticci's hope: get Sherlocked properly this time</li> </ul> <hr> <p><strong>Links and Contact</strong></p> <ul> <li>Send feedback: feedback@technicallyworking.show</li> <li>TestFlight beta for Earshot: find Michael on Mastodon at payown@dragonscave.space</li> <li>Damashe on Mastodon: damashe@technically.social</li> <li>Bot: tw@technically.social</li> <li>Support the show: technicallyworking.show, click Support Us</li> </ul> <p>Support Technically Working by contributing to their tip jar: <a href="https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/technically-working" rel="payment nofollow">https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/technically-working</a></p> <p>Find out more at <a href="https://technically-working.pinecast.co" rel="nofollow">https://technically-working.pinecast.co</a></p> <p>Send us your feedback online: <a href="https://pinecast.com/feedback/technically-working/3240cfe1-07d0-4cdc-b340-9d4131f7c84e" rel="nofollow">https://pinecast.com/feedback/technically-working/3240cfe1-07d0-4cdc-b340-9d4131f7c84e</a></p> <p>This podcast is powered by <a href="https://pinecast.com" rel="nofollow">Pinecast</a>. Try Pinecast for free, forever, no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code <strong>r-431b7d</strong> for 40% off for 4 months, and support Technically Working.</p>
View episode