Beta Tested: Apple’s Big Software Updates

Basic AF: a (mostly) tech podcast

If you’re wondering whether it’s finally safe (or fun) to jump into the Apple public betas, this episode is for you. From iPadOS 26’s dramatic windowing overhaul to macOS Tahoe’s subtle UI tweaks — plus new features in iOS 26 and watchOS 26 — we’ve lived with them all and have thoughts.

You’ll hear why the new iPad multitasking feels like macOS (in a good way), how Liquid Glass adds personality, and where the Mac beta stumbles hard (spoiler: Tom's disk filled up fast). We also dive into CarPlay changes, and watchOS 26.

Find out what works, what’s still rough, and which betas are actually changing how we use our Apple gear — including a full week of iPad-as-primary-computer testing.

And yes, Jeff crashed out over creatine. Hit play and stick around.

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• Drop us a line at [email protected]
• You’ll find Jeff at @reyespoint on Threads and reyespoint.bsky.social on Bluesky
• Find Tom at @tomanderson on Threads
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• Tom has a new YouTube channel
• Show artwork by the great Randall Martin Design

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Transcripts and some images are AI generated and may contain errors and general silliness.

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Chapters

1. Intro (00:00:00)

2. Tom's Adventure on the High Seas (00:01:10)

3. Exploring iPadOS (00:09:05)

4. Reflections on iOS 26 (00:23:59)

5. CarPlay Updates and User Interface (00:34:45)

6. Exploring macOS Tahoe 26 Changes (00:40:05)

7. watchOS 26 (00:46:02)

8. Close (00:48:55)