Upgrade

Myke and Jason have spent a week running Big Sur on M1 Macs and are here to report back on what the future feels like. Also, HBO Max gives up and plans a streaming release of "Wonder Woman 1984" so everyone but Myke can see it, and Apple pulls a PR move that gives a raise to small developers while enraging its loudest critics.

In this special, extra-packed episode we've got an interview with Apple's Tim Millet and Tom Boger about Apple's new M1 Macs, followed by Jason's review of the new Macs after spending nearly a week with all three models. Plus, Myke and Jason review the iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone 12 mini!

Three new Macs have arrived, and they've brought the Apple-designed M1 processor with them. Myke and Jason break down the new chip, the new hardware, and what it all means for the future of the Mac. And did they both buy new Macs after the event ended, or did they resist temptation?

Surprise! Jason and Myke predict what will happen at next week's Apple media event, in the form of an impromptu draft. There's a lot of speculation about Apple silicon, but we've thrown in a few wacky picks just to keep things interesting. Also, Apple TV+ snags Jon Stewart, "Ted Lasso" is a word-of-mouth hit, and the Mac has its best quarter of sales in its 36-year history.

New Apple hardware season is in full swing! We review the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and fourth-generation iPad Air. Myke and Jason find themselves drawn to different models for aesthetic reasons. And in Upstream, we discuss why James Bond is probably not coming soon to a streaming service near you.

This week we're picking up the pieces on last week's October Apple event. What have we learned about the HomePod and iPhone 12? There's a lot to unpack here. And in other news, Apple has decided that 2020 is the right time to become MTV.

Jason and Myke break down Apple's iPhone 12 and HomePod mini launch event. Having four new iPhones with different pricing structures and camera options is a bit overwhelming, but they do their best to process it all and provide initial reactions.

Bonus episode! Jason and Myke interview Apple's Tim Millet and Tom Boger about the new iPad Air and Apple silicon. Afterward, it's time to fearlessly predict what will happen at Tuesday's Apple media event in the only way Upgrade knows how--via a competitive draft.

It's all about what's next at Apple this week, as we discuss the ramifications of some early A14 speed tests and ponder the challenges of succession planning at Apple. And what's next for us is an interview with two Apple executives, so it's time to get in your #askupgrade questions.

This week widget mania sweeps the nation, Jason goes to an Apple Store to buy a Solo Loop, and Tim Cook ponders Apple's work-from-home culture.

Has Apple set off an iPhone home screen aesthetics revolution with iOS 14? We talk about our favorite widgets, Widgetsmith's journey to the top of the App Store charts, home-screen customization, and what this might mean for Apple's iOS feature priorities. Also, Myke evaluates new watchOS faces, Jason seeks home remedies to fix his terrible Apple Watch battery life, and we both speculate about whe...

Apple announced new Apple Watches and iPads on Tuesday, and here's our quick reaction to the news. Shockingly, we walk away feeling pretty good about… Apple's services? Plus: Surprise! Those operating system updates are coming sooner than anyone suspected!

In the first of two episodes of Upgrade this week, Jason and Myke predict what will happen at September 15's Apple event in the traditional form of a draft! We'll be back on Tuesday for post-event reaction and the scoring of our picks.

Jason dives into macOS Big Sur and has to podcast from exile, Apple gets excited about Emmy nominations while prepping for fall product launches, and the release of "Mulan" leads us to discuss which movie theaters are worth saving.

Jason and Myke try to piece together conflicting rumors about Macs with Apple silicon, Apple TV+ embraces the UK and Mariah Carey, and Apple and Epic take it to the courts, and #askupgrade reaches its final form as #keyboardtalk.

Jason and Myke take a walk in the woods while discussing Apple and Epic, the latest Apple TV+ news, the speed potential of Macs with Apple silicon, and how the pandemic has changed their working lives.

Epic takes on Apple and Google's dominance of smart phone app stores with an app update and corresponding legal filings and publicity campaign. What's Apple's next move, and more importantly, what do we wish Apple would do to change its App Store policies? Also, Apple releases a bundle with the promise for many more, which leads us to get a little bit sad about the state of Apple's current service...

Jason reviews the new iMac (with nano-texture display) and the public beta release of macOS Big Sur. Myke thinks Apple's making a big mistake in keeping game streaming services off of its platforms. And in Upstream, the transformation of the film industry continues at a rapid pace.

The summer gets a little more serious as we discuss Apple's newest iMacs, Phil Schiller's job transition, Apple emails disclosed by the House Antitrust Subcommittee, and Apple's surprisingly strong financial results. Also, Jason launches his new "20 Macs for 2020" project.

This week Stephen Hackett joins Myke and Jason to consider the best and worst changes to app icons in macOS Big Sur. What makes a good icon? How are books shaped? What is the origin of the term "email"? What happened to Lou? Staring at icons for a long time really makes you think...

Apple's big design changes in macOS Big Sur aren't limited to visuals. The system's alert sounds have changed, too. What better way to run down those changes than on a podcast during the Summer of Fun? Also, Apple News adds some audio features Myke likes, while Jason remains skeptical of whether Apple News can really help the sad state of the news business. Plus: Peacock Premium... Plus.

This week Myke and Jason discuss John Gruber's essay about Apple's App Store priorities and then assemble a list of apps that are missing key operating-system features. There's also more news about ARM Macs, Apple continues to make TV deals, and we discuss our favorite features of the iOS and iPadOS Public Betas.

Apple's services are in the spotlight, as Apple TV+ adds material, Apple News gets kicked to the curb by the New York Times, and Apple Arcade grapples with finding the right kind of games to publish. In other streaming news, we touch on Quibi and CBS before diving into Disney+--most specifically, Myke at the Matinee featuring "Hamilton."

This week we welcome Apple's Bob Borchers and Ronak Shah to the show to discuss macOS Big Sur, including all the new features in Safari. There's also an awful lot of follow-up from the busy WWDC week that was, and we discuss the possible features of new Macs running Apple silicon.

Myke and Jason break down the WWDC 2020 keynote, which featured changes to the Mac both expected and unexpected and some long-wanted updates for iOS. Did the iPad updates let us down? Are we ready for the Apple Watch to track our sleep? And who won the draft?