Episode Summary
Executive Summary: The episode centers on technical troubleshooting, then broadens into a long debate about Safari’s upcoming certificate-lifetime policy, Apple’s antitrust pressure, and whether iOS/macOS should allow default-app choices for browsers, mail, music, reminders, and more. It also covers app-state restoration, notes vs files, App Store business setup, TV/monitor buying advice, and a frustrating Catalina debugging saga.
Main Topics: Hyphenation and grammar banter: The show opens with playful arguments about hyphen use, especially compound adjectives like 'full-immersion' and why the hosts constantly correct one another. Mac troubleshooting and Catalina instability: A prolonged segment details Bluetooth peripherals, trackpad latency, network I/O bottlenecks, and repeated failures on Catalina leading to plans to downgrade back to Mojave. Apple Feedback vs Radar terminology: The hosts discuss whether Apple's bug-reporting app should still be called Radar internally and how pluralization/terminology should work now that the app is called Feedback. Safari certificate expiration policy: A major debate covers Safari’s decision to reject certificates issued after a cutoff date once they are more than about a year old, including security rationale, pain for site owners, and the role of Let's Encrypt. Default apps, antitrust, and platform control: The conversation explores rumors that Apple may let users choose default browser/mail/music apps on iPhone, with discussion of antitrust pressure, App Store rules, and how much Apple should open the platform. App development, business setup, and Notes vs files: Listeners ask about App Store business structure and the tradeoffs between using Notes as a data store versus plain files, with emphasis on backups, exports, and legal/organizational choices. Hardware buying guidance and system features: The episode briefly covers what matters when buying a TV/monitor for gaming and differences between console, TV, and PC use cases, focusing on refresh rate, latency, and adaptive sync features.
Key Arguments: Hyphen rules are knowable and follow consistent syntax; compound adjectives should often be hyphenated when multiple words jointly describe a noun. Catalina appears to be making John’s setup unstable, but the likely cause may be peripheral/USB quirks rather than the OS alone; debugging should isolate devices before resorting to a downgrade. Safari’s certificate cutoff is a unilateral browser policy that may improve security but also increases burden on small site owners and pushes the ecosystem toward automation and services like Let's Encrypt. Short-lived certs reduce risk from stolen keys, but the gain may be incremental because any validity window still leaves time for abuse and certificate revocation is weak. Apple’s default-app openness would help users and likely satisfy antitrust pressure without requiring sideloading or major App Store policy changes. Apple could make iOS/macOS settings much better by centralizing defaults for browsers, mail, reminders, notes, and universal links in one place instead of scattered prompts and app-level nagging. Notes is convenient but risky as a data silo because export/import and backup are weak; plain files are less elegant but give users more control and future-proofing. If Apple wants to preserve goodwill, it should make first-party apps good enough while also allowing users to swap in third-party apps that do specific jobs better.
Data Points: Certificate age limit: about 13 months / roughly 1 year - Safari policy would reject certificates issued after a cutoff once they exceed about a year in age. Apple certificate payment delay: 45 days after month-end (officially); often around 30 days - Discussing how long it takes Apple to pay App Store developers. Time Machine/backup size: 1 GB to 1.5 GB - John says he has accumulated that much diagnostic data for Apple feedback reports. Certificate lifetimes in the past: up to 5 years historically; more recently about 2 years - Marco and Casey discuss how certificate validity periods have shortened over time. Let's Encrypt renewal cycle: 90 days - Cited as a model that forces automation and reduces manual certificate management. Default app policy scope: browser, mail, music; possibly reminders/notes and Siri intents - The hosts argue Apple should extend default-app selection beyond the rumored categories. App Store sponsor discount: 10% - ProClip USA sponsorship includes promo code ATP10 for 10% off. Linode promo credit: $20 - Sponsor offer for new accounts using code ATP2020. Linode nano plan: $5/month - Mentioned as the lowest-cost hosting tier. Indeed sponsored job upgrade: free sponsored job upgrade on first posting - Sponsor offer associated with posting a job at indeed.com/podcast.
Pivotal Quotes: "It’s very difficult to get this to penetrate." — John: John complains that coworkers never internalized his hyphenation teaching method. "Safari is going to use whatever market clout it has... to say our pretty popular browser is not going to accept your certificate if it was issued after, you know, whatever it is, September." — Marco: Explaining Safari’s unilateral certificate-validity policy and its market power. "I think from a user point of view, this makes total sense." — Marco: On Apple potentially allowing users to switch default apps on iPhone.
Implications: The episode suggests Apple is moving toward more user choice under antitrust pressure, while security policies like shorter cert lifetimes may push the web toward automation. For users, the big themes are better defaults, easier backups, and less platform lock-in.