Connected 559: Grading the Ticcilympics, Apple Music's 10th Anniversary, and A18 Pro MacBooks

Ticcilympics 2024: A Review

• 🏆 The hosts grade the "Ticcilympics," a game predicting Federico Vitici's tech experiments over the next 12 months.
• 🎯 Federico earns points for trying an E-Ink phone and for re-exploring glasses as external displays (Xreal One).
• 💡 Mike wins the overall "Ticcilympics" with 1.5 points, earning him the title of "Ricky Benchman's Best Friend."

Apple Music's Decade and Future of Siri

• 🎶 Apple Music celebrated its 10th anniversary with a new global hub for artists, featuring immersive spatial audio studios.
• 🎧 The "Replay All Time" playlist feature is discussed, with critiques on its simple play count sorting.
• 🤖 Apple is reportedly in talks with OpenAI and Anthropic to potentially power Siri with third-party LLMs, aiming to improve its capabilities while maintaining user privacy.

The Future of Entry-Level MacBooks

• 🚀 Rumors suggest Apple may release a new MacBook featuring the A18 Pro chip, potentially targeting a lower price point.
• 💻 This new MacBook could offer a performance boost over the M1 chip, especially in single-core tasks, making it suitable for everyday users.
• 🤔 Discussions revolve around design possibilities, including a return to colorful plastic casings and a focus on essential laptop functionality rather than advanced features like Thunderbolt.

Tech Gadgets and Personal Tech Habits

• 📱 Widgetsmith 7.3 introduces a wallpaper gallery and thematically coordinated widgets, with Stephen Hackett highlighting his photography contributions.
• 💻 The discussion touches on portable computing, including the merits of Windows handhelds like the ROG Ally X and the potential for a new, more affordable MacBook.
• 💡 Personal tech habits are explored, from password policies to the appeal of specific gadgets like e-readers and augmented reality glasses.