
Upgrade
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.
Latest episodes

Aug 7, 2023 • 1h 26min
471: A Technological 23rd Century Star Trek Thing
Jason has the painful details about Apple's comeback bid for college football TV rights that fell just short of the goal line. We also discuss what Apple's rich-but-middling quarterly results say about the importance of this fall's iPhone launch.
This episode of Upgrade is sponsored by:
Vitally: A new era for customer success productivity. Get a free pair of AirPods Pro when you book a qualified meeting.
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Ooni Pizza Ovens: Bring the world’s best pizza to your own backyard. Discount automatically applied at checkout.
Links and Show Notes: Get Upgrade+. More content, no ads. Submit Feedback Connected #366: 5, 1, 4, 6, 9, 6, 3, 4, 7, 8, 2, 2, 3, 5, 9, 12, 12, 3, 4, 1, 5, 9, 11, 8, 6, 4, 11, 5, 1, 1, 2, 8, 8, 2, 8, 12, 3, 6, 6, 11, 12, 2, 6, 1, 9, 1, 7, 10 - Relay FM The Laughing Cat 'LOL' Apple prepping for iPhone 15 Pro event on September 13 - 9to5Mac Kuo: New AirTag Likely to Enter Mass Production in Late 2024 - MacRumors Disney reportedly wants to team up with Apple to expand ESPN distribution - 9to5Mac Pac-12, Apple deal was $23M per school and underwhelming, but hope remained until 11th hour - The Athletic Downstream - Relay FM Apple Q3 2023 Charts: $81.8B revenue, down 1% – Six Colors This is Tim: Apple’s Q3 2023 analyst call, transcribed – Six Colors If this is Apple struggling, everything is going to be just fine | Macworld Tim Cook uses Vision Pro every day, and other earnings call info - 9to5Mac Announcing Callsheet — Liss is More 15-inch MacBook Air demand reportedly low, but not every product can be a best-seller - 9to5Mac

Jul 31, 2023 • 1h 29min
470: Magic Titanium
This week we wonder if Apple will profess further mastery of the Periodic Table with this fall's iPhone Pro release, and if Lionel Messi will conquer the world with Apple's help. And for the Summer of Fun, Myke asks Jason about his writing process and tools.
This episode of Upgrade is sponsored by:
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Links and Show Notes: Get Upgrade+. More content, no ads. Submit Feedback Bananaman - Wikipedia Lionel Messi is already giving Apple’s MLS streaming service a boost - The Verge Offside With Taylor Twellman on Apple Podcasts Expected Goals - Rory Smith - Amazon MLS, Apple appear pleased with media deal so far - Sports Business Journal Lionel Messi Ventures Into Charted Territory - The New York Times Apple iPhone 15 Pro Features: USB-C Port, New Design, Thinner Bezels - Bloomberg Periscope Lens: What is it? And When Will Apple Use One in iPhone? - MacRumors Snell's law - Wikipedia Keychron Q1 Build with Jason and Stephen! -- Friday Keyboard Club - YouTube Searching for the perfect iOS Markdown writing tool – Six Colors 1Writer — Powerful, beautiful Markdown editor for iOS Taio - Markdown & Text Actions Scrivener HYPER METEOR – Playdate Bloom – Playdate Catalog Dave the Diver on Steam Designing a Weather app for visionOS - David Smith, Independent iOS Developer Tips for Vision Pro Labs - David Smith, Independent iOS Developer

Jul 24, 2023 • 1h 44min
469: Bring in the Boffins
Myke's summer is a lot less fun due to his concerns about a bill advancing in the UK Parliament that could potentially drive some Apple services out of the country. Also we try to understand just what's happening at Apple regarding AI products, and we have issues with services that push algorithmic timelines.
This episode of Upgrade is sponsored by:
Factor: Healthy, fully-prepared food delivered to your door.
Vitally: A new era for customer success productivity. Get a free pair of AirPods Pro when you book a qualified meeting.
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Links and Show Notes: Get Upgrade+. More content, no ads. Submit Feedback Embed the Photos Picker in your app - WWDC23 - Videos - Apple Developer Burgee - Wikipedia Unity adds visionOS beta program – Six Colors 1Password will soon let users unlock vaults with passkeys – 9to5mac The UK’s Online Safety Bill, explained - The Verge Apple joins opposition to encrypted message app scanning - BBC News The online safety bill: taking a sledgehammer to the internet in the UK? Apple slams UK surveillance-bill proposals - BBC News Daring Fireball: Apple Tries to Explain to U.K. Legislators That You Can't Add Back Doors to Secure Protocols Government boosts protection for encryption in Online Safety Bill but civil society groups concerned | Computer Weekly Apple Preps Ajax Generative AI, ‘Apple GPT’ to Rival OpenAI and Google - Bloomberg Apple Creates New Vision Products Group (VPG) for Future Mixed-Reality Headsets - Bloomberg Bloomberg: No, really, Apple’s working on language AI – Six Colors Developer Labs - visionOS - Apple Developer Developer Kit - visionOS - Apple Developer Apple Vision Pro: Will Developers Sell VisionOS Apps for the $3,499 Device? - Bloomberg Vision Pro Developer Kit Terms - James Thomson: Mastodon The Threads Episode: How We Got Here, Meta Obstacles and Advantages, Everyone Hates Twitter (And Uses It Every Day) Immigrant Song (Jason and Myke’s Version) dropping soon? Look out Led Zeppelin, Upgrade is coming for ya🤘 | Instagram

Jul 18, 2023 • 1h 38min
468: Nonstop Bangers Involving Saxophone Solos
Subtitle: 🎷As the Public Betas arrive, there's breaking bad news for Mac Pro fans, Jason has an invitation for Tim Cook, and we explore our favorite Emoji.
This episode of Upgrade is sponsored by:
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Electric: Unbury yourself from IT tasks. Get a free pair of Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones when you schedule a meeting.
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Links and Show Notes: Get Upgrade+. More content, no ads. Submit Feedback Upgrade (@upgraderelay) – Instagram Upgrade (@upgraderelay) – TikTok Transcript: Phil Schiller, Craig Federighi and John Ternus on the state of Apple’s pro Macs | TechCrunch How to watch Lionel Messi debut on MLS on Apple TV - 9to5Mac Apple to Announce Q3 2023 Earnings on August 3 Following New Macs - MacRumors GM dealers aren’t happy future EVs won’t support CarPlay - 9to5Mac First Attempt at Designing for visionOS - David Smith, Independent iOS Developer Designing a Weather app for visionOS - David Smith, Independent iOS Developer David Smith (@_Davidsmith@mastodon.social) - Mastodon 📅 World Emoji Day — July 17, 2023 Myke's Frequently Used Emoji Jason's Frequently Used Emoji Jason's Frequently Used Slack Emoji 👹 Japanese Ogre Emoji – Emojipedia Microsoft Teams Emoji List – Emojipedia Apple Emoji List — Emojipedia First Look: macOS Sonoma Public Beta – Six Colors First Look: iPadOS 17 Public Beta – Six Colors First Look: 2023 Public Beta platform features – Six Colors First Look: iOS 17 Public Beta – Six Colors First Look: watchOS 10 Public Beta – Six Colors Myke's LOL Emoji Issue

Jul 10, 2023 • 1h 19min
467: The Least Important Mac
We struggle to balance empathy with reality as we try to explain why the Mac Pro is the way that it is, and why that's unlikely to change. Also, the Summer of Fun ends up taking on the future of social media, and Myke asks Jason to talk him into installing the iOS beta.
This episode of Upgrade is sponsored by:
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Links and Show Notes: Get Upgrade+. More content, no ads. Submit Feedback Nick Hornby - Wikipedia Fever Pitch - Wikipedia Designing for visionOS | Apple Developer Documentation Apple streaming first episode of Foundation free on YouTube, ahead of second season premiere - 9to5Mac TestFlight Now Supports visionOS Apps - MacRumors ATP 542: Penguin Camel Monkey Shark — Accidental Tech Podcast Apple Mac Pro M2 Ultra review: a powerful computer in search of an audience - The Verge Larger iMac With Around 32-Inch Display Reportedly in Early Testing - MacRumors Apple has arrived to the Threads party as new platform approaches 100M users - 9to5Mac Instagram’s Threads surpasses 100 million users - The Verge My social media is in an Mac app, or it’s nowhere – Six Colors Special Episode: Meta’s Twitter Rival Arrives, with Adam Mosseri - The New York Times

Jul 3, 2023 • 1h 42min
466: Try to Stop Me Now, Batman
This week we get to the bottom of the secrets of the mysterious Puzzle Society, Goldman Sachs can't make money on credit cards, Apple might be getting into college football, and there's a lot of weird follow-up. Typical Summer of Fun stuff!
This episode of Upgrade is sponsored by:
Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code UPGRADE at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.
Ooni Pizza Ovens: Bring the world’s best pizza to your own backyard. Discount automatically applied at checkout.
Links and Show Notes: Get Upgrade+. More content, no ads. Submit Feedback JUBEL Beer Shandy Shack House Hippo Commercial - YouTube Companies Committed to Kids - Wikipedia House hippo - Wikipedia Sam's Audio Clip on 'Beta' – Mastodon Kiwis please help | TikTok Notification Summaries - iOS and iPadOS 15: The MacStories Review - MacStories Apple previews new features coming to Apple services this fall - Apple The Puzzle Society Andrews McMeel Universal Sign in here for the Relay FM Crossover Feed to get the Membership Special Apple AirPods Plans: Hearing Test, Body Temperature, Cheaper Models, USB-C - Bloomberg Goldman Is Looking for a Way Out of Its Partnership With Apple - WSJ WSJ: Goldman Sachs wants to bail on Apple Card partnership after $1B loss, in talks with Amex - 9to5Mac Apple Card responsible for more than $1 billion in losses - 9to5Mac Goldman Sachs Extends Partnership with Apple – WSJ Is Apple ready for some college football? – Six Colors Daring Fireball: Ahead of Season 1 Finale, Apple Has Made the Entire First Episode of ‘Silo’ Free — on Twitter ‘Ted Lasso’ Finale, ‘FUBAR’: Streaming TV Rankings May 29-June 4, 2023 – The Hollywood Reporter Flagship 'Morning Show' returns to Apple TV+ in September for season 3 - 9to5Mac Apple’s alien show Invasion returns for season 2 in August - The Verge 'High Desert' cancelled at Apple TV+, but unlike other streamers Apple won't pull shows off its platform - 9to5Mac Downstream - Relay FM

Jun 26, 2023 • 1h 53min
465: No Dark Modes, Only Dark Rooms
Developers are getting their hands on (simulated) visionOS for the first time, and we speculate about how spatial apps might work. And for the Summer of Fun, we gauge our excitement level for various Apple-related product rumors.
This episode of Upgrade is sponsored by:
Electric: Unbury yourself from IT tasks. Get a free pair of Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones when you schedule a meeting.
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Links and Show Notes: Get Upgrade+. More content, no ads. Submit Feedback Apple Vision and the challenge of 3D movies – Six Colors Pro tip: The iPhone has a discoverability problem – Six Colors Here's everything new in iOS 17 beta 2 - 9to5Mac Apple adds passkeys to Apple ID, iCloud logins – Six Colors First look at Apple News crossword puzzles in iOS 17 – 9to5mac NYT Games - The New York Times Joe Hribar: "iOS 17 beta 2 and Interactive Widgets" - Mastodon Apple and LG team up to bring AirPlay to hotels later this year - 9to5Mac Voice to Text Update - 2023 Edition (MacSparky Labs) - MacSparky visionOS - Apple Developer Designing for visionOS | Apple Developer Documentation Steve Troughton-Smith: "Guest mode in visionOS " - Mastodon Developers' Early Experiments with visionOS - MacStories Steve Troughton-Smith: "Spatial multitasking is kinda neat" - Mastodon Broadcasts on the App Store Devin: "Timer support underway" - Mastodon David Smith: "Oh wow, the first of the Apple Vision Pro in-person labs will start in July!" - Mastodon What Apple Didn’t Reveal About the Vision Pro — The Information Vision Pro Features 'Left Out' For Now Include Fitness Apps, Full-Body Tracking, and More - MacRumors Report: Apple Vision Pro top strap helps headset weight issue, but Apple might not include it in the box - 9to5Mac Apple 2023 and 2024 Road Map: iPhone 15, M3 Macs, iPad Air, Vision Pro Headset - Bloomberg Apple Product Roadmap 2023–24: Over 15 New Devices in Development - MacRumors Guy Kawasaki - Wikipedia

Jun 19, 2023 • 1h 40min
464: Godzilla Is Always There
Myke and Jason answer your questions about Vision Pro, catch up with some new beta details, saddle up for a new Rumor Roundup, process the Reddit debacle, and detail our summer plans.
This episode of Upgrade is sponsored by:
Electric: Unbury yourself from IT tasks. Get a free pair of Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones when you schedule a meeting.
Zocdoc: Find the right doctor, right now with Zocdoc. Sign up for free.
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Links and Show Notes: Get Upgrade+. More content, no ads. Submit Feedback Connected #454: Pipe It In - Relay FM Apollo to shut down; developer has receipts – Six Colors Reddit blackout protest updates: all the news about the changes infuriating Redditors - The Verge Apple TV+ 'Monsterverse' Show Filming in 3D for Vision Pro Viewing - MacRumors Kuo: iPhone 15 to offer upgraded UWB chip for Vision Pro support – 9to5mac Apple’s Messi Vision. Which is decidedly not messy, and perhaps rather brilliant… | by M.G. Siegler | 500ish Why Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi deal isn’t done yet; MLS, Apple pushing for All-Star involvement - The Athletic Ping My Watch comes to iPhone in iOS 17 - 9to5Mac iOS 17 Enables Cinematic Mode Video Editing in Third-Party Apps - MacRumors WWDC 2023: More responsive iOS camera apps – Six Colors CleanMyMac X DaisyDisk

Jun 12, 2023 • 1h 39min
463: Respect the Tripod
Jason and Myke discuss their experiences using the Apple Vision Pro and what they're thinking about the product now that they've used it. Also there's a lot of WWDC follow-up, and Jason reviewed new Macs! And it's all coming to you live from Jason's garage.
This episode of Upgrade is sponsored by:
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Links and Show Notes: Get Upgrade+. More content, no ads. Submit Feedback Upgrade Merch “Thunderbolt Dock Surf Shop” by Upgrade Upgrade @ WWDC 2023: Live from Apple Park - YouTube iOS 17 Reminders App Can Automatically Sort Your Groceries Into Categories - MacRumors Apple's Notes App Now Lets You Create Links Between Notes - MacRumors Apple’s new Proton-like tool can run Windows games on a Mac - The Verge With iPadOS 17, Stage Manager Is (Finally) Moving in the Right Direction - MacStories iOS 17 Can Automatically Clean Up Verification Codes That Clog Up Messages App - MacRumors Integrate with motorized iPhone stands using DockKit - WWDC23 - Videos - Apple Developer Eyes (and head) on with the Apple Vision Pro – Six Colors Cortex #143: Apple Vision Pro: Experiencing the Future - Relay FM Apple still aiming to release a more affordable version of Vision Pro by the end of 2025 - 9to5Mac Vision Pro developer kits will help devs get their apps ready before launch | Ars Technica Vision Pro to Get Even More Human-Like 'Spatial Personas' for FaceTime - MacRumors How Apple Vision Pro Works With the Mac - MacRumors A Developer's View of Vision Pro - David Smith, Independent iOS Developer Will There Be A Cheaper Apple Vision? How Apple Can Lower Cost of New Headset - Bloomberg M2 Ultra Mac Studio review: Top of the line – Six Colors 15-inch MacBook Air review: Sometimes bigger is better – Six Colors The Talk Show Live From WWDC 2023 - YouTube Apple Highlights Vision Pro's Accessibility Features with Head, Wrist, and Index Finger Controls - MacRumors

Jun 6, 2023 • 1h 15min
462: Time Moves the Sun
WWDC 2023 has arrived and Jason and Myke react to the keynote announcements, live from a secluded location at Apple Park! Topics are just what you'd guess: Apple Vision Pro, new Mac hardware (!), and new OS features.
This episode of Upgrade is sponsored by:
Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code UPGRADE at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.
Fitbod: Get stronger, faster with a fitness plan that fits you. Get 25% off your membership.
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