Basic AF: a (mostly) tech podcast

Tom Anderson & Jeff Battersby

Spilling trash, talk, tech, and tea (though Tom says no politics). Plus, games, plenty of Apple tech, or whatever else comes into our heads. It’s a show where we get to hang out and talk tech, talk shit, and have fun every couple of weeks (and sometimes more often - only your podcast app knows for sure). We'll give you the lowdown on the gear we're using, some knowledge bombs to help you use your gear better, and answer listener questions. 

  1. 2D AGO

    These Are a Few of Our Favorite Things (2025 Edition) with Joe Moyer

    Happy Holidays! Joe Moyer returns and joins Tom and Jeff for a fun and festive discussion in the third-annual “These Are a Few of Our Favorite Things” show! Picks range from backpacks to iPhone accessories, books, apps, and more.  Find more from Joe at https://www.24letters.net/. Links: Bellroy Transit WorkpackBullstrap Men's WalletsBullstrap iPhone CasesPeak Design Phone CasesGentler Streak Workout TrackerCraft: Docs, Notes, Tasks & AIThe Ugmonk PenDiscbound Analog Productivity SystemField Notes NotebooksiPad ProAnker MagGo 3-in-1 Charging StationHighland Pro Screenwriting AppSnipd AI Podcast AppReadwiseVersion History PodcastBook Tracker - Reading JournalYouTube PremiumMarcus Aurelius: The Stoic EmperorCulpability by Bruce HolsingerWhat We Can Know by Ian McEwanAsana Project Management Question or Comment? Send us a Text Message! Contact Us Drop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.com You’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social on Bluesky Find Tom at @tomanderson on Threads Join Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk, for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks. Tom has a new YouTube channel Show artwork by the great Randall Martin Design Enjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating! Review on Apple Podcasts Rate on Spotify Recommend in Overcast Intro Music: Psychokinetics - The Chosen Apple Music Spotify Transcripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness. ...

    1h 2m
  2. DEC 8

    The Apple Gear We're Using in Late 2025

    In this episode of Basic AF, Tom and Jeff revisit all the Apple hardware they use every single day, 18 months after their last gear rundown. From Macs to iPads, Apple Watch, AirPods, HomePods, and even a brief Vision Pro confession, they break down what’s still great, what’s aging surprisingly well, and what upgrades they’ve made along the way. Jeff shares updates on his recovery journey, including walking unaided, writing again, and adjusting to double vision, while Tom heaps praise on the iPad Pro M5 and laments the quirks of iOS 26 battery life on his iPhone 16 Pro Max. Other highlights include: Why the M1/M2 Mac lineup still punches way above its weightWhether the Studio Display’s nano-texture finish is worth it (spoiler: it depends)AirPods Pro 3 comfort after long-term useHomePod improvements thanks to quiet-but-solid AirPlay tuningFoldable iPhone rumors, realistic upgrade cycles, and what Apple still gets rightThey wrap with a reminder to check out the important episode about Jeff’s stroke and recovery, and a tease for the upcoming Favorite Things of the Year show with guest Joe Moyer. Links: Support Jeff Battersby's Stroke Recovery Teaching, B******t Jobs, and AI — Jeffrey Fisher Stroke!: An Account of Jeff’s Symptoms, Recovery, and What You Should Trust in a Medical Emergency Question or Comment? Send us a Text Message! Contact Us Drop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.com You’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social on Bluesky Find Tom at @tomanderson on Threads Join Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk, for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks. Tom has a new YouTube channel Show artwork by the great Randall Martin Design Enjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating! Review on Apple Podcasts Rate on Spotify Recommend in Overcast Intro Music: Psychokinetics - The Chosen Apple Music Spotify Transcripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness. ...

    45 min
  3. NOV 10

    New iPad Pros and iPadOS 26 with Riley Hill (And Jeff's Return!)

    Jeff returns to the show 🥳 and Riley Hill joins us again to talk all things iPad.  Riley and Tom have new M5 iPad Pros (11” and 13” models) and share their experiences. Did Apple make the right call with the current iPad Pro design by choosing thinness over battery life? And how’s life with iPadOS 26? Is the new windowing system everything we hoped for, or is it a step backwards? Be sure to follow Riley on YouTube, Threads, and at slatepad.org for more great Apple and tech-related content. https://youtube.com/@slatepad https://www.threads.com/@slatepad https://slatepad.org/ Jeff’s going to be out of work for a while longer as he continues to recover from his stroke. His family has set up a GoFundMe to help out a bit and if you'd like to throw a few bucks his way, here's the link, and it's all appreciated. https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-jeff-battersbys-stroke-recovery Question or Comment? Send us a Text Message! Contact Us Drop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.com You’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social on Bluesky Find Tom at @tomanderson on Threads Join Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk, for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks. Tom has a new YouTube channel Show artwork by the great Randall Martin Design Enjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating! Review on Apple Podcasts Rate on Spotify Recommend in Overcast Intro Music: Psychokinetics - The Chosen Apple Music Spotify Transcripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness. ...

    51 min
  4. OCT 27

    Apple Notes, Obsidian, Notion, Craft, and Bear (Oh My!) with Bill McLean

    Jeff is taking a break from the show to recover from his recent stroke. He's recovering well and is working his butt off in rehab and hopes to return before long. His family has set up a GoFundMe to help out a bit while he's in rehab kicking ass. If you'd like to throw a few bucks his way, here's the link, and it's all appreciated. https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-jeff-battersbys-stroke-recovery -- Bill McLean returns to the show to discuss the abundance of riches with modern note-taking apps. Plus, Tom has a new iPad Pro M5 and shares his first impressions of it and the Magic Keyboard. Be sure to follow Bill on YouTube, Threads, and Substack for more great Apple and tech-related content. https://www.youtube.com/@BillMcLean https://www.threads.com/@williambmclean There's never been a worse time to pick a notes app Question or Comment? Send us a Text Message! Contact Us Drop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.com You’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social on Bluesky Find Tom at @tomanderson on Threads Join Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk, for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks. Tom has a new YouTube channel Show artwork by the great Randall Martin Design Enjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating! Review on Apple Podcasts Rate on Spotify Recommend in Overcast Intro Music: Psychokinetics - The Chosen Apple Music Spotify Transcripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness. ...

    50 min
  5. OCT 13

    BAF Rewind: Tips & Tricks with Gannon Nordberg

    Jeff and Tom are off this week so we're going into the vault! Join us for a rewind of our 2024 Tips & Tricks show with Gannon Nordberg! Over a dozen tips & tricks for macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS and more! More from Gannon: LinkedIn (email marketing strategies & newsletter signup) Links from the show: Use profiles in Safari on Mac Turn off Listening History in Apple Music with a Focus Mode Play music together in a car with SharePlay and Apple Music Edit portraits on iPad Make stickers from your photos on iPhone Search in Messages on iPhone Easily change photo aspect ratios Change the color of links and highlights in Notes See time spent in daylight How to Automatically Change Your Apple Watch Face Based on Time or Location Use the Smart Stack to show timely widgets on Apple Watch Hazel for Mac Question or Comment? Send us a Text Message! Contact Us Drop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.com You’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social on Bluesky Find Tom at @tomanderson on Threads Join Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk, for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks. Tom has a new YouTube channel Show artwork by the great Randall Martin Design Enjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating! Review on Apple Podcasts Rate on Spotify Recommend in Overcast Intro Music: Psychokinetics - The Chosen Apple Music Spotify Transcripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness. ...

    38 min
  6. SEP 15

    Apple Event Recap: iPhone Air, iPhone 17 series, Apple Watch Series 11 & Ultra 3, Plus AirPods Pro 3

    We dig into the details of Apple’s recent “Awe Dropping” event! We take a look at the innovative features of the new iPhone Air, display improvements on the iPhone 17, and what’s new with the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max. Get the scoop on the Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and new hypertension warnings and Sleep Score. Plus AirPods 3 improvements and our thoughts on when to upgrade any of your devices. Links: Apple Events Introducing iPhone Air, a powerful new iPhone with a breakthrough design Apple unveils iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max Apple debuts iPhone 17 Apple debuts Apple Watch Series 11, featuring groundbreaking health insights Introducing Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple introduces Apple Watch SE 3 Introducing AirPods Pro 3, the ultimate audio experience We Tried to Break the iPhone Air | Interview with Apple’s Joz & John Ternus Question or Comment? Send us a Text Message! Contact Us Drop us a line at feedback@basicafshow.com You’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social on Bluesky Find Tom at @tomanderson on Threads Join Tom’s newsletter, Apple Talk, for more Apple coverage and tips & tricks. Tom has a new YouTube channel Show artwork by the great Randall Martin Design Enjoy Basic AF? Leave a review or rating! Review on Apple Podcasts Rate on Spotify Recommend in Overcast Intro Music: Psychokinetics - The Chosen Apple Music Spotify Transcripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness. ...

    53 min
5
out of 5
21 Ratings

About

Spilling trash, talk, tech, and tea (though Tom says no politics). Plus, games, plenty of Apple tech, or whatever else comes into our heads. It’s a show where we get to hang out and talk tech, talk shit, and have fun every couple of weeks (and sometimes more often - only your podcast app knows for sure). We'll give you the lowdown on the gear we're using, some knowledge bombs to help you use your gear better, and answer listener questions.