224: ‘AirPower, What’s That?’ With Serenity Caldwell

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: The episode centers on WWDC 2018 and the first betas of iOS 12, watchOS 5, and macOS Mojave. The hosts praise Apple’s stability-first approach, then dig into standout features like Memoji, Group FaceTime, Screen Time, Apple Books, and dark mode, while also criticizing rough edges such as iPad gesture changes, Marzipan apps, and the unreleased AirPower.

Main Topics: WWDC 2018 beta quality and stability (Priority: 5/5): The hosts argue that iOS 12 and Mojave betas are unusually stable compared with prior WWDC builds, reflecting Apple’s emphasis on bug fixes and performance rather than flashy features. AirPower delays and product execution concerns (Priority: 5/5): A long discussion examines AirPower’s mysterious delay, possible technical challenges, and Apple’s history of late or problematic products like the white iPhone 4. iOS 12 features and privacy-first intelligence (Priority: 5/5): They cover Memoji, Group FaceTime, Screen Time, Siri shortcuts, and the new proactive suggestions, emphasizing that many features run locally on-device for privacy. macOS Mojave design and Marzipan apps (Priority: 4/5): The conversation evaluates Mojave’s dark mode, finding it attractive in screenshots but problematic in real-world multitasking, and criticizes the first wave of iOS-to-Mac apps as unfinished or awkward. WWDC logistics, San Jose, and attendee experience (Priority: 4/5): They compare San Jose and San Francisco as WWDC venues, noting pedestrian issues, restaurant shortcomings, scooters, and the improved podcast studio and keynote staging. Apple Watch and watchOS 5 limitations (Priority: 3/5): watchOS 5 release notes and update difficulties are discussed, including reasons there is no public beta and why the watch remains hard to update safely. Email, Twitter, and communication habits (Priority: 3/5): The hosts reflect on how Twitter’s timeline-based design is easier to manage than email, why 280 characters turned out to be useful, and how they triage communication during WWDC.

Key Arguments: Apple’s WWDC betas are unusually stable this year because the company prioritized bug fixes, performance, and polish over headline features. AirPower’s delay likely stems from engineering complexity, especially around cross-device charging and watch support, not merely marketing timing. iOS 12’s proactive features are compelling because they happen locally on-device, preserving privacy while still enabling useful suggestions. Memoji and Group FaceTime show Apple’s hardware/software integration working well: the features are polished enough to feel useful rather than gimmicky. Mojave dark mode looks great in a pristine screenshot but is less usable in normal multitasking because it obscures window boundaries and active elements. The first Marzipan apps on Mac feel too much like iPad apps in simulator form, suggesting the idea is promising but early. San Jose is a better WWDC fit for Apple operationally, but its restaurants and service industry are not yet fully prepared for the conference scale. Twitter’s 280-character limit is broadly beneficial; it improves expression without destroying the platform, and it is easier to catch up on than email threads.

Data Points: WWDC keynote room screens: 3 screens - The keynote staging used three independently controlled panels across the stage. Keynote room cabling: 22 miles of Ethernet cable - Used to support the wide-screen keynote display setup. AirPods/Watch accessibility feature: Live Listen support for AirPods - AirPods can now act like a hearing aid, routing iPhone microphone audio to the earbuds. Group FaceTime participants: 32 people - Group FaceTime remains end-to-end encrypted even at this scale. Podcast studio capacity: High-top table with professional microphones - Described as one of the nicest podcast studios the hosts had used at WWDC. Twitter character limit: 280 characters - Discussed as a practical improvement over the original 140-character limit. iPhone update method: Provisioning profile download in kilobytes - iOS betas are installed by downloading a small profile rather than a full OS image. Screen Time usage anomaly: 2 minutes a day - One beta report showed an obviously incorrect low usage figure on an iPhone 7 test device. App usage anomaly: 4,000 wake-ups in a week - A beta Screen Time report briefly showed excessive device wake count during testing. Books app reading metric: 18 hours in the last week - The reading/reference category in Screen Time reflected heavy reading use. Mojave beta install hardware: External USB drive on an iMac - One speaker ran Mojave from an external drive rather than the internal startup disk.

Pivotal Quotes: "I think there is something to the sort of a focus on bug fix stability type stuff." — John Gruber: Explaining why iOS 12 and Mojave betas feel unusually polished. "I kind of expect, okay, here's AirPower one week before the iPhone announcement." — John Gruber: Speculating about Apple’s pattern of late product launches and the AirPower delay. "The phone knows, the phone tells you." — John Gruber: Describing Apple’s on-device intelligence and privacy-preserving proactive features in iOS 12.

Implications: Apple is shifting toward mature, privacy-preserving, on-device intelligence and more polished platform features. For users, that means better reliability and smarter automation; for developers, the challenge is adapting to Apple’s new UI and platform direction without losing native feel.