Basic AF: a (mostly) tech podcast Mac Mini Gets Pricier, Siri Payout, and iOS 27 Rumors
May 11, 2026
They unpack Apple Notes tricks like Smart Folders and a Markdown plugin. They react to a surprise Mac mini price hike and ongoing supply woes. They cover education store changes and the MacBook Air showing up in campus deployments. Rumors swirl about iOS 27 letting you pick different AI assistants and a possible standalone Siri chat app. A major Siri class-action settlement is also discussed.
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Use Apple Notes Search And Smart Folders
- Use Apple Notes search and Smart Folders to find items beyond titles, including text in attachments like PDFs and photos via OCR.
- Tom recommends tagging and Smart Folders (e.g., project hashtags) to auto-collect related notes for writing projects and organization.
Add ProNotes Plugin For Markdown And Slash Commands
- Try ProNotes plugin to add Markdown, slash commands, and a formatting bar to Apple Notes for faster drafting and block creation.
- The free ProNotes version gives Markdown export, bidirectional links, and slash commands; AI features cost extra.
Mac Mini Entry Price Jumps Due To Memory Shortage
- Apple removed the 256GB/16GB base Mac mini, raising the entry price from $599 to $799 and leaving supply constrained models scarce.
- Tim Cook said memory chip shortages mean supply likely won't recover for several months, explaining the lineup gaps.
