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