Basic AF: a (mostly) tech podcast
Apple makes incredible products. The tips and insights that actually help are harder to find. Basic AF cuts through the hype cycles and gets straight to what matters for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch users. Plus, app recommendations, gear reviews, AI tools, and the everyday tech that actually shows up in your life. Every other Monday, Tom Anderson and Jeff Battersby bring 25+ years of real-world Apple experience to practical, insightful conversations for people like you.
Episodes
99 episodes
iPhone 18 Pro and Apple Watch Ultra 4: One Week In
If you're holding an iPhone or Apple Watch that's a few years old and wondering whether this is the year to upgrade, this one's for you. Jeff went from an iPhone 15 Pro Max to the 18 Pro, and Tom finally retired his original Apple Watch Ultra f...
Apple Event Recap: iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro/Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, and more with Joe Moyer
Apple finally showed the folding iPhone, and it arrived with a $1,999 starting price and a lot of great and interesting features. Tom and Jeff bring Joe Moyer back to walk the whole event: the iPhone Duo, the 18 Pro and Pro Max, new AirPods, an...
Apple's iPhone Event is Set, and New Mac mini and Mac Studio Models
Apple just locked in a date for the big iPhone event, and new Mac mini and Mac Studio models landed early with a price jump that'll make your eyes water. Tom and Jeff run the actual numbers on both new Macs, weigh in on the iPhone 18 Pro, Pro M...
Ditching the Phone for Field Notes (and a Tiny E-Reader)
What do you actually do with a stack of pocket notebooks once you own more than you'll ever fill? Tom's been figuring that out for six months, and it turned into an actual system: a custom monthly and weekly planner, daily notes, and a pocket j...
Samsung Galaxy Fold8 Hands-On and Apple's New Upgrade Program
Tom got five minutes with Samsung's new Galaxy Z Fold8 this week, and it's got him thinking about what Apple's own foldable might feel like this fall. Then Jeff works through Apple's new Klarna-backed leasing program, replacing the old iPhone U...
Is Siri Finally Fixed? We Put Apple’s New Siri AI to the Test
The public betas for iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, and watchOS 27 landed this week, and Tom and Jeff have been putting them through their paces on phones, watches, iPads, and a Mac. This episode covers what's actually different, under-the-hood p...
The Podcast App That’s Changing How We Learn | Kevin Smith (Co-Founder of Snipd)
You love podcasts. You're always hearing something worth remembering. And then... you forget it. Sound familiar? Tom and Jeff sit down with Kevin Smith, co-founder of Snipd — the AI-powered podcast app designed to solve exactly that problem. Ke...
Simple, Effective Ways to Use Apple Reminders with Robin Kai
Robin Kai, based in Munich, Germany, is a husband, dad, and writer on Medium and at ForMacUsers.com. He's built a simple, flexible system around Apple's built-in apps that actually fits real life: family, day job, and side projects.In th...
WWDC 2026 Keynote Recap with Riley Hill and Joe Moyer
Tom and Jeff are joined by returning guests Riley Hill (Slatepad.org) and Joe Moyer (24letters.net) for a full roundtable on what Apple announced during the WWDC keynote and what it means for everyday users.Topics covered:...
MacBook Air M5 (13" & 15") First Impressions, iPhone 17 Pro MLS Event, KC Public Schools Go Apple
Both of us did something a little unusual this month: we both walked away with the MacBook Air M5. Tom grabbed the 15-inch for work, Jeff picked up the Midnight Blue 13-inch — and after a couple weeks of use, we've got a lot to say about batter...
Mac Mini Gets Pricier, Siri Payout, and iOS 27 Rumors
There's a lot happening in Apple land right now. Mac mini prices just went up, a Siri class action settlement might land in your inbox soon, and a fresh iOS 27 rumor has some good news for anyone who'd rather talk to Claude than ChatGPT. Tom an...
AI Tools: What's Actually Working (and What Isn't) with Bill McLean
Big news out of Cupertino: Tim Cook is stepping down as CEO, with hardware engineering chief John Ternus set to take the helm this September. Tom and Jeff spend a few minutes on the transition — then welcome back guest Bill McLean for an honest...
Mac Mini & Mac Studio Shortages, Kindle Cutoffs & Four Things Worth Knowing About iOS 26.4
Tom and Jeff dig into why it's getting harder and harder to buy a Mac mini or Mac Studio in anything beyond a base configuration — and what that might mean about upcoming M5 refreshes. Plus, Jeff gives a six-month health update (he's at 92% and...
MacBook Neo Real-World Review with Nate Gorby
Nate Gorby is back — and this time he's got two weeks of daily MacBook Neo use to report on. Coming from an M2 MacBook Air he'd already sold, Nate picked up the Neo on day one and has been using it the way most people actually use computers: br...
MacBook Neo, Apple’s First 50 Years, and the Weirdest Wearable Yet
Tom and Jeff are back with a packed episode that wanders from Apple hardware to Apple history to Apple TV+ sports to, well, a scientific fart study. If that sounds like a lot, it is.Topics covered this episode:MacBo...
A Budget MacBook, iPad Updates & Going Analog with Field Notes
Apple's dropping a wave of new products this week — and Tom and Jeff break down everything that's expected: a budget MacBook starting around $600, an iPhone 16E follow-up, iPad updates for the non-Pro models, and possible MacBook Pro upgrades w...
Siri Delayed Again — And a Ray-Ban Meta Glasses Review with Nate Gorby
Tom flies solo this week and welcomes first-time guest Nate Gorby for a conversation about Apple’s ongoing Siri delays, the state of Apple Intelligence, and what it all means for everyday users.They discuss the latest report that Apple’s...
When You Should (and Shouldn’t) Switch Productivity Apps with Jim Eagar
Jim Eagar joins Tom Anderson and Jeff Battersby for a thoughtful, experience-driven conversation about productivity, tools, and the often-tempting urge to switch apps. Drawing on decades of professional experience—from Air Force chaplain to att...
Apple Teams Up With Google (Again) & A Look at Apple Creator Studio
In this episode of Basic AF, Tom Anderson and Jeff Battersby kick off the year by digging into some of the biggest Apple stories in early 2026—starting with the news that Apple is partnering with Google to have Gemini power a revamped Siri and ...
The Latest iPhone Fold Rumors and a Fix (of sorts) for Poor Battery Life in iOS 26
Happy New Year! Everyone expects Apple to release its first foldable iPhone later this year and the rumors and “leaks” are heating up. Tom and Jeff discuss the latest, including the 3D printed model that looks nothing like current iPhones.<...
These Are a Few of Our Favorite Things (2025 Edition) with Joe Moyer
Happy Holidays! Joe Moyer returns and joins Tom and Jeff for a fun and festive discussion in the third-annual “These Are a Few of Our Favorite Things” show! Picks range from backpacks to iPhone accessories, books, apps, and more. Fi...
The Apple Gear We're Using in Late 2025
In this episode of Basic AF, Tom and Jeff revisit all the Apple hardware they use every single day, 18 months after their last gear rundown. From Macs to iPads, Apple Watch, AirPods, HomePods, and even a brief Vision Pro confession, they break ...
Stroke!: An Account of Jeff’s Symptoms, Recovery, and What You Should Trust in a Medical Emergency
This episode starts with listener feedback on window management in iPadOS 26, then Jeff opens up about his recent stroke. He walks through the initial symptoms, the frustrating EMS response, his time in the hospital and rehab, and what recovery...
New iPad Pros and iPadOS 26 with Riley Hill (And Jeff's Return!)
Jeff returns to the show 🥳 and Riley Hill joins us again to talk all things iPad. Riley and Tom have new M5 iPad Pros (11” and 13” models) and share their experiences. Did Apple make the right call with the current iPad Pro design b...
Apple Notes, Obsidian, Notion, Craft, and Bear (Oh My!) with Bill McLean
Jeff is taking a break from the show to recover from his recent stroke. He's recovering well and is working his butt off in rehab and hopes to return before long.His family has set up a GoFundMe to help out a bit while he's in rehab kick...