Episode Summary
Executive Summary: The episode ranges across backups, photography, APFS, iPhone design, and batteries. The hosts largely agree that cloud backup should prioritize data, not perfect fidelity, that preserving family photos requires password planning and diversified storage, and that Apple’s APFS rollout and rumored iPhone gesture changes are sensible but still carry UX trade-offs.
Main Topics: Backup strategy: cloud vs disk cloning vs metadata fidelity: The hosts compare Backblaze, Crash Plan, ARC, ARQ, Time Machine, and full-disk cloning. They argue cloud backups are best treated as a last-resort safety net, while local clones matter for speed and completeness. Metadata preservation matters to some users but is not worth depending on for most workflows. Backblaze limits and retention policies: A major thread covers Backblaze’s 30-day rule for external drives and its five-terabyte migration limit. The hosts defend the policy as economically necessary for an unlimited-priced service, while acknowledging that power users may need a different plan or pricing tier. Photo preservation, inheritance, and family memory: The discussion explores whether digital photo archives can survive across generations. The hosts emphasize password sharing, family access planning, and diversified backups, plus printing favorite images so they can be enjoyed now and preserved physically. Camera buying advice for beginners: The hosts recommend renting before buying, trying cameras in person, and prioritizing ergonomics and handling over pure specs. They argue a standalone camera should be dramatically better than a phone camera, otherwise it is not worth the cost. APFS rollout in High Sierra: Apple’s announcement that all-flash Macs upgrading to High Sierra will be automatically converted to APFS is treated as a straightforward, sensible rollout. The hosts trust Apple’s staged deployment history, especially after APFS’s broader iOS rollout. Rumored iPhone no-home-button interaction model: The rumored edge-to-edge iPhone design sparks a debate over whether Apple should use a pressure area or a swipe-up gesture. The hosts are cautiously optimistic about the extra screen space but worry about gesture reliability and conflicts. Battery breakthroughs and who should own them: A closing hypothetical asks which company should make a major battery breakthrough. The hosts argue the answer should be a broadly beneficial, widely licensed industrial breakthrough—not a proprietary advantage for Apple or Tesla—so the technology spreads as a commodity.
Key Arguments: Cloud backup should protect irreplaceable data, not attempt perfect bit-for-bit restoration; local disk clones are better for rapid recovery and full-fidelity restores. Applications folders are usually easy to reconstruct, so excluding them from cloud backup is acceptable unless the user needs fast disaster recovery. Backblaze’s 30-day external-drive policy is economically rational for an unlimited-priced service, but heavy users who want permanent retention should pay for a higher-tier plan. Metadata preservation matters most to power users who rely on Finder labels, tags, and extended attributes, but many workflows should not depend on fragile metadata surviving every tool and platform. If family photos matter, users should plan for inheritance now by sharing passwords, using family password managers, and keeping physical or printed copies as a backup layer. A dedicated camera is only worth buying if it is meaningfully better than a modern phone camera; otherwise, a phone is usually enough. Renting gear is the safest way to evaluate camera bodies and lenses because handling, weight, ergonomics, and battery life often matter more than specs. APFS automatic conversion on flash-storage Macs is acceptable because Apple has already rolled it out at large scale on iOS, suggesting the filesystem is stable enough for broader use. A swipe-based iPhone home action could maximize usable screen space, but it may introduce more user error than a physical or pressure-based button. Battery breakthroughs should be industry-wide and commoditized so the benefits spread across phones, cars, trucks, ships, and other sectors instead of being locked into one company.
Data Points: Backblaze external-drive retention window: 30 days - If an externally connected drive is not plugged in for 30 days, Backblaze deletes the backup of that drive. CrashPlan migration limit: 5 terabytes - Crash Plan’s migration from Home to Small Business excludes backups over 5 TB. One backup size mentioned: 5.3 terabytes - One host checked his CrashPlan backup size and found it slightly above 5 TB. Another backup size mentioned: 4.8 terabytes - A host said his own CrashPlan backup was just under the 5 TB migration threshold. Synology C2 pricing: 70 euros per terabyte per year - The hosts cited Synology’s cloud backup beta pricing in Germany. Approximate Synology C2 cost in USD: $83 per terabyte per year - Using a rough conversion, the hosts estimated the cost per terabyte annually. Casper trial period: 100 nights - Sponsored copy mentioned a 100-night in-home mattress trial. Casper review average: 4.8 stars - The ad cited over 20,000 reviews with an average rating of 4.8 stars. Casper review count: 20,000+ reviews - The mattress sponsor segment referenced a large review base. Fracture happiness guarantee: 60 days - The photo-on-glass sponsor offers a 60-day happiness guarantee. Apple/High Sierra APFS policy: All flash storage Macs - Apple says High Sierra will automatically convert Macs with flash storage to APFS. Battery plan hypothetical: 100x faster charging - The listener question framed a breakthrough as charging in about one-hundredth the time of current batteries.
Pivotal Quotes: "What you want instead is contact at your sit bones and nothing else." — John: Explaining why padded bike saddles can be worse than firmer seats for cycling comfort. "If you have a Mac and it has flash storage and you upgrade to macOS High Sierra, you are getting converted to APFS." — John: Summarizing Apple’s APFS rollout policy for High Sierra. "I want it to be the type of thing that everybody has access to because... we don't want it to be, oh, this lets Apple and/or Tesla extract an extra six months or a year of larger profits." — John: Arguing that a battery breakthrough should become a broadly available commodity rather than a proprietary advantage.
Implications: Listeners should plan backups as layered systems, not single solutions, and should treat photo and password inheritance as part of estate planning. The episode also suggests Apple is moving toward more aggressive platform changes, from APFS to gesture-based iPhone navigation.