Brief Summary
This episode of the Waveform Podcast covers a range of tech topics, starting with an update on the Escobar phone scam and moving into discussions about AppleCare One, Google Tasks and Keep integration, and the new CMF Watch 3 Pro. The hosts also share their thoughts on the Essential brand's revival and leaks surrounding the Google Pixel 10. The episode includes a sponsored segment from Shopify and concludes with a round of Crown or Clown, where they discuss the best and worst tech developments of the month, and a trivia segment.
- Update on the Escobar phone scam, with the perpetrator pleading guilty.
- AppleCare One subscription plan offering coverage for multiple devices.
- Google Tasks and Keep integration, aiming for a unified task management system.
- CMF Watch 3 Pro, a new budget smartwatch with interesting design choices.
- Essential brand's return is just an AI feature on Nothing phones.
- Leaks and speculation surrounding the Google Pixel 10 design and features.
Intro
The hosts, Marquez, Andrew, and David, introduce the episode, teasing topics such as Pixel 10 leaks, the CMF Watch 3 Pro, the return of Essential, and Google Tasks and Keep updates. They start with an update on the Escobar phone FBI story.
Escobar Phone update
Marquez provides an update on the Escobar Fold phone scam, where the person behind it, Olaf, is pleading guilty and facing millions in fines and over 20 years in prison for fraud. The scam involved selling the original Galaxy Fold for $400 with outrageous promotional material, but not delivering the phones. Despite the absurdity of the scam, many people were conned, with losses amounting to around $300,000. Some people may have thought they were getting a cheap deal on refurbished phones, while others may have been buying the phone just to make content about it.
AppleCare One
Apple is introducing AppleCare One, a $20 per month subscription plan that covers up to three products, with additional products costing $6 extra per month. This plan offers the same coverage as AppleCare Plus, including unlimited repairs for accidental damage and 24/7 support. A key advantage is that it allows users to add products bought up to four years prior, unlike the standard 60-day window. The plan targets families and requires devices to be in good condition before being added to prevent insurance fraud. The hosts discuss whether the plan can be shared among family members or if it's tied to a single Apple ID. They also compare the cost to existing AppleCare plans, with varying experiences on repair costs.
Google Tasks x Google Keep
Google is integrating Google Keep reminders into Google Tasks, so reminders set in Keep will appear as Google Tasks with a note indicating they originated from Keep. The hosts discuss whether this integration works the other way around, allowing users to link a Keep grocery list to a recurring task in Google Tasks. The goal is to make Google Tasks a central solution for managing to-dos across the workspace. The hosts debate the usefulness of setting reminders in Google Keep versus using memory, with David advocating for not killing Google Keep. Andrew expresses frustration with Google Drive, where the "insert image" button now defaults to "generate an image," which he accidentally clicks frequently.
Donkey Kong Bonanza
Adam raves about the new Donkey Kong game on Nintendo Switch, describing it as a modern take on classic platformers like Crash Bandicoot and Spyro. The levels are massive, and players can destroy the entire environment, which Adam finds relaxing. The game has been compared to Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey, with puzzles and hidden bananas to collect. Adam's fiance was so engrossed in the game that she chose to play it over going out to dinner. The game is estimated to take around 20 hours to beat, but some players have spent 50-60 hours exploring and destroying everything.
Shopify (Sponsored)
Shopify is the commerce platform behind millions of businesses worldwide, offering tools and support to help businesses thrive. It provides readytouse templates for creating online stores and helps businesses manage inventory, international shipping, and returns. A $1 per month trial is available at shopify.com/wayform.
New CMF Watch 3 Pro
The CMF Watch 3 Pro, a $99 smartwatch (currently $79 for early sales), features a 1.43-inch OLED display with a 10% increase in screen-to-body ratio compared to the Watch 2. It comes in three colours—dark grey, light grey, and orange—each with a different style. The watch includes dualband GPS, 13 days of battery life under typical usage, and AI-powered coaching. The hosts criticise CMF for changing the name from Watch Pro 2 to Watch 3 Pro and for discontinuing swappable bezels. The watch will be controlled using the Nothing X app, which is also used for Nothing headphones.
Essential jump scare
The hosts discuss a random post from Essential, the phone company founded by Andy Rubin, which was later acquired by Nothing. The post, "hello world," led to speculation about a comeback, but it turned out to be an announcement about integrating the Essential brand into the "essential key" on Nothing phones, an AI feature. The hosts express disappointment that Nothing is using the Essential brand for a feature that isn't particularly useful. Andrew wants the Essential space to get better, with the ability to access it from a browser or other devices. The hosts also reflect on Google's failure to create a unified suite of services that integrates calendar, drive, and Gmail data.
Google Pixel 10 Leaks
Google has been showing the design of the Pixel 10, which looks similar to the Pixel 9. The Pixel 10 is expected to have triple cameras, making it harder to distinguish from the Pro model. There is speculation that the base model will use Pixel 9a sensors, while the Pro models will have better cameras. The hosts debate whether this difference will be noticeable to regular users. Android Headlines has leaked renders of the Pixel 10 in four colours: lemonch cello, frost, indigo, and obsidian. The hosts speculate that the brighter colours will be for the base models, while the Pro models will have more traditional colours.
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Crown and Clown
In the Crown or Clown segment, the hosts discuss the best and worst tech developments of the month. Ellis calls out OpenAI CEO Sam Altman for announcing a 4.5-gawatt increase in power usage. Adam's clown is the Fujifilm X100VI, while Andrew's clown is the liquid glass design changes in Apple's iOS beta. Andrew's crown is that the giant insurance company no longer owns their G DNA data and it was sold back to Susan Wajiski's sister. Adam's crown is Donkey Kong Bonanza. The hosts agree that their live show was a crown.
Trivia answers
The hosts reveal the answers to the trivia questions. The first question was about the colour of a lobster's blood before being exposed to oxygen, with the correct answer being clear. The second question was about a phone based on reviews, with the answer being the Essential PH1. The third question was about which lobsters are found in US waters, with the correct answers being the spiny lobster and the true lobster.
Outro
The hosts thank the audience for watching and listening and tease the upcoming trivia extravaganza. They acknowledge their partnership with the Vox Media Podcast Network and credit Vain Self for the trout music.
