The Vergecast Apple's best product ever
150 snips
Apr 3, 2026 They rank Apple’s 50 greatest gadgets and software, with big debates over the iPhone, iPod, Mac OS X, AirPods, and QuickTime. There’s also a sharp detour into AI’s shift toward enterprise tools, a look at the fediverse through Flipboard Surf, an iMac display resurrection project, and rising gadget prices caused by supply chaos.
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OpenAI Now Looks Like A Startup Selling To Startups
- David Pierce says the TBPN deal makes sense as a glossy B2B channel aimed at startups buying software from other startups.
- Nilay Patel says OpenAI still faces brutal competition from Anthropic in coding and Google in consumer AI and ads.
Software Brain Turns Automation Into God Claims
- The hosts separate useful AI from AGI hype by saying business automation may matter while digital-Jesus claims do not.
- Nilay Patel calls this software brain: mistaking databases and automation for a complete model of reality, then extrapolating to godlike claims.
Ashley Esqueda Found A Timer That Sings Instead Of Beeps
- Ashley Esqueda brought a childlike Pomodoro timer she found on Amazon to help her and Ross Miller stay focused.
- She rejected harsh beeping cube timers, searched phrases like "timer child music," and picked a rainbow device that sings when time ends.