We’re in between WWDC and the Public Betas, and it’s the perfect time for a summer vibe check!

Tom and Jeff break down what they’re reading, watching, listening to, and playing with this summer. Books, newsletters, podcasts, the new Reply All Time and Top Songs playlists in Apple Music, and more. Additionally, Tom gets nerdy with Claude, Readwise, and MCP, while Jeff plans to dabble in sketching and watercolors.

Links:

White Noise – Don DeLillo

Crudo – Olivia Laing

Wellness – Nathan Hill

The Hidden Girl and Other Stories – Ken Liu

Throughline – NPR Podcast

Seeing White (Scene on Radio) – Listen to Episode 1

The Mars Volta – Lucro Sucio; Los Ojos del Vacío (Filthy Lucre; The Eyes of the Void)

Pink Elephant – Arcade Fire

Jeff’s Playlist – Trying Not to Cry

Lost in Play – Apple Arcade

Sahil Bloom

James Clear – Atomic Habits

Unreasonable Hospitality

Lean Learning

Vanessa Lau on YouTube

Modern Wisdom Podcast

Question or Comment? Send us a Text Message!

Contact Us

• Drop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.com
• 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

Transcripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.

Tom and Jeff dive into three fun segments: Tom’s updated Mac recommendations for students, Jeff's update on his Forever Notes system using Apple Notes, and how both hosts are using health tracking apps to better understand their stress and recovery. Tom unpacks how Athlytic and Apple Watch are helping him recognize stress and reduce habitual tension, while Jeff shares how Gentler Streak has helped him optimize sleep and workouts. It’s a mix of tech tips, personal stories, and wellness insights—plus a few keg-lifting jokes.

Links from the show:

Best Mac for College – Tom Anderson

My Forever Notes

Gentler App

Athlytic App

Episode 55 - Who Pays for Calendar Apps & Next-Level Notes with Bill McLean

Episode 58 - WWDC Announced, Gentler Streak Workout Tracker, and "The Cybernetic Teammate" by Ethan Mollick

Question or Comment? Send us a Text Message!

Contact Us

• Drop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.com
• 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

Transcripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.

Tom Anderson and Jeff Battersby are joined by returning guest Joe Moyer for a comprehensive breakdown of Apple's WWDC 2025 keynote:

• Exploration of the new "Liquid Glass" design language unifying all Apple platforms
• New Apple Intelligence features
• Analysis of simplified version numbering (everything is now version 26)
• iPadOS 26's new windowing system and advanced features
• iOS 26's customizable interface and enhanced CarPlay features
• macOS Tahoe's powerful Spotlight improvements and Journal app expansion
• Vision Pro's enterprise push and quality-of-life improvements across the ecosystem

Where to find Joe:

Threads - https://www.threads.net/@thejournalingguide
The Journaling Guide - https://www.24letters.net/thejournalingguide
24Letters - https://www.24letters.net

Links from the show:

Apple elevates the iPhone experience with iOS 26

watchOS 26 delivers more personalized ways to stay active and connected

Apple TV brings a beautiful redesign and enhanced home entertainment experience

macOS Tahoe 26 makes the Mac more capable, productive, and intelligent than ever

visionOS 26 introduces powerful new spatial experiences for Apple Vision Pro

iPadOS 26 introduces powerful new features that push iPad even further

Question or Comment? Send us a Text Message!

Contact Us

• Drop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.com
• 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

Transcripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.