Top Five Tech

Stephen Robles

Get my top five picks of the week with something to watch, listen, read, download, and a deep thought all about tech! Delivered every Friday, by Stephen Robles.

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#20
Yesterday · 5 min
MKBHD Says Yes to Every Email, GoldenEye on iPhone, Cancer Vaccine
MKBHD says yes to every wild gadget email again, Robert Downey Jr. and Joe Russo look back at Infinity War and the MCU, Bill Gates on our turbulent AI era, GoldenEye 007 running natively on iPhone, Super Mario 64 on  Vision Pro, and we may have a cancer vaccine. Get the Newsletter MKBHD Said Yes to Every Email for a Month! (Again) EXCLUSIVE: Robert Downey Jr. and Joe Russo Look Back At Infinity War The choices we make about AI now are critical — Bill Gates GoldenEye 007 Running Natively on iOS and iPadOS — Chris Sotraidis on Threads Super Mario 64 VR — r/SuperMario64 Stash: Fast Add to Clipboard How Big of a Deal is this Cancer Vaccine?
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#19
August 21 · 6 min
Minimal Phone 2, Claude Watermarks, and Camera AirPods
The strangely intriguing Minimal Phone 2 on Kickstarter, Ben Smith of Semafor on Decoder, John Gruber on Anthropic's text watermarking, a free app that fixes DMG installs forever, and the AirPods camera leak hiding inside macOS Tahoe. Get the Newsletter Minimal Phone 2 Looks A Little TOO Good.. It's about ethics in journalism, with Ben Smith (01:01) Traffic by Ben Smith on Apple Books (01:16) Anthropic’s ‘Watermark’ Text Adulteration in Claude Is a Perversion of Writing (01:52) Firing Line with William F. Buckley Jr.: Borges: South America's Titan EasyDMG — Automated DMG Installs for macOS Apple's Camera-Equipped AirPods Confirmed: See Them in Action (03:53)
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#18
August 14 · 5 min
Superintelligence is a Dragon and I Should've Tried Raycast Years Ago
Mrwhosetheboss on what Google's Pixel 11 event means for Android's future, Colin and Samir on where the AI line is for creators, Casey Newton's take on Zuckerberg's AI manifesto, and the launcher that's better than Spotlight. Get the Newsletter Send me a message Google Pixel 11 Hands on - The Phone Crisis Begins. The Cancellation of Hank Green & Why Gen Z Hates Ai (00:30) We need to talk about the Hank Green situation Superintelligence is a dragon — Platformer Raycast Everyone was right about Raycast How to spot AI writing — The Economist
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#17
August 7 · 6 min
Space is Bigger Than You Think, Google Maps Blew It, When It's Too Much AI
Cleo Abram's tour of fascinating neutrino detectors, Kurzgesagt's video on why we're trapped in our Solar System, and if you're over 40, you're ready to use AI. Get the Newsletter The Massive Machine Hidden in the Deep Ocean ‎Watch Silo - Show - Apple TV (00:39) Why Humanity Will Never Leave The Solar System The Puzzle of Grief - Summer Archive (00:55) See how Google Earth let people make fake scenes of bombings, riots and destruction (01:27) I Built the Task App I've Always Wanted - YouTube Kan Do: Project Management App - App Store After Years Building a Brand on Authenticity, Hank Green Says He Relied Too Much on ChatGPT (02:46) If You’re Over 40, You’re Ready to Use A.I. This changed our perspective on AI. Well put @debbiemillman
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#16
July 31 · 5 min
iPhone User's Take on Z Fold 8, Deep Fitness Tracker Testing, U.S. Bans Robot Vacuums
Andrew Clare tests the Galaxy Z Fold 8 as a primarily iPhone user, history podcasts I can't stop listening to, in-depth fitness tracker testing, two of my favorite apps got big upgrades, and the FCC just banned robots, including vacuums. Get the Newsletter Testing the Galaxy Z Fold 8 as an iPhone User... No Fluff (00:05) World War II with Tom Hanks (00:31) The Halifax Explosion (Entry 562.JB0409) — Omnibus (00:48) The Wearable Showdown: Oura Ring 5 vs. Fitbit Air vs. Whoop MG vs. Apple Watch — WSJ (01:16) AI Broke Containment, Galaxy Z Fold 8 Lineup, Best Fitness Trackers with Lexy Savvides — Primary Technology (01:52) Pastebot 3 (02:11) Nutrition Tracker: Foodnoms (02:45) The US government just banned Roombas — The Verge (03:23)
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#15
July 24 · 5 min
Nolan's Odyssey, WWII with Tom Hanks, Great Apple Home App
Ludwig Göransson's incredible Odyssey score, a feature-length breakdown of Nolan's "invisible CGI," World War II podcast with Tom Hanks, a great smart home app, creativity in the age of AI. The Odyssey | In Studio: Ludwig Göransson The Odyssey (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) on Apple Music (00:26) NOLAN'S CGI is really just INVISIBLE CGI ("no CGI" part 6) The Beginning (01:11) - WWII with Tom Hanks Dr. Jill Lepore on why the AI backlash is vital for the future The Odyssey (2026) Review (01:50) - Movies on the Side ‘The Odyssey’ Shows Us Just How Big, Bold, and Grown-Up Movies Can Be. Scream for More. HomeSnap - Smart Home Insights App - App Store The future of creativity on the internet in a world with AI
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#14
July 17 · 4 min
Robot Hands Are Getting Wild, Get USB-C Cable Insights, ChatGPT Super App
The 1X NEO robot's incredibly dexterous new hands, Hank Green interviews Helen Hunt on his new podcast, M.G. Siegler on why the new ChatGPT app sort of super sucks, a free Mac utility that tells you what your USB-C cables can really do, plus Facebook Marketplace food reviews and jaw-dropping bird calls. Get the Newsletter https://shortcut.bot/topfive Movies on the Side https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/movies-on-the-side/id1373518864 Primary Technology https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/primary-technology/id1723943281 Mac Power Users https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mac-power-users/id458066753 1X NEO Hands Demo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRyXV3csReA Helen Hunt: When the Universe Betrays You — Humans with Hank Green https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/helen-hunt-when-the-universe-betrays-you/id1896666596?i=1000773262872 The ChatGPT "Super App" Sort of Super Sucks — Spyglass https://spyglass.org/chatgpt-gets-to-work/ WhatCable https://www.whatcable.uk/ Gabriel Rivera on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/itsgabrielrivera Samuel's Bird Calls — TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8GvPGPd/
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#13
July 10 · 4 min
How IMAX 70mm Works, Best Movie and TV App, The Rest is History
A behind-the-scenes look at how IMAX projects 70mm film for The Odyssey, the JFK series that got me hooked on The Rest Is History, Derek Seaman's top macOS app picks, and the two apps I'm leaning on to track my media and get a second opinion on my health. Get the Newsletter https://shortcut.bot/topfive How IMAX 70MM Film is Projected! https://youtube.com/watch?v=7S_geBV5bLQ&is=RiKJLJadWQUnE57P Deepister.tech on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/deepister.tech JFK: Death in Dallas (Part 3) — The Rest Is History https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jfk-death-in-dallas-part-3/id1537788786?i=1000634881247 My Top macOS App Picks (2026 Edition) — Derek Seaman's Tech Blog https://www.derekseaman.com/2026/07/my-top-macos-app-picks-2026-edition.html Sequel • Media Tracker https://www.getsequel.app Trackables – Health Tracker https://apps.apple.com/us/app/trackables-health-tracker/id6745567488
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#12
July 3 · 3 min
Find My Showdown, Hyperspace, Four Thousand Weeks
Lexy Savvides pits Find My against Google's network, ATP digs into Apple's price increases, the book that reframed how I think about time, John Siracusa's disk-space app, and Holst's Jupiter. Get the Newsletter https://shortcut.bot/topfive I lost my stuff on purpose. Who found it faster? https://youtu.be/8DvGX96Obh8?is=IJjz38TkacpQt8gI The Chart Is Terrifying — Accidental Tech Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/accidental-tech-podcast/id617416468?i=1000774400611 You're Not Ready For These iPhone Shortcuts https://youtu.be/zUKCL70V-R4 Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals — Oliver Burkeman https://amzn.to/446h9yA Hyperspace: Reclaim Disk Space — John Siracusa https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hyperspace-reclaim-disk-space/id6739505345?mt=12 Holst: The Planets — Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-planets-suite-jupiter/267986844?i=267987026 Shortcuts Community https://create.beard.fm/checkout/community?coupon_code=HALFOFF25
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#11
June 26 · 6 min
Slate EV Truck, Apple Raises Prices, Toy Story 5
First look at the $25,000 Slate EV Truck, why Apple just raised prices across the lineup, a plain-language Mac utility, and what Toy Story 5 says about our screens. Get the Newsletter https://shortcut.bot/topfive Affiliate Prime Day Deals https://geni.us/wN559wu Shortcuts Community https://create.beard.fm/checkout/community?coupon_code=HALFOFF25 Spider-Man: Brand New Day – New Trailer (4K) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62bIsvRcPv0 Slate Truck First Look: The $25,000 Modular EV! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0t7wpkFc6U Can Patreon Fight Fire With Social Media Fire? — Decoder with Nilay Patel https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/can-patreon-fight-fire-with-social-media-fire/id1011668648?i=1000773706490 Apple Explains Why It Raised Prices on These 14 Products Today — MacRumors https://www.macrumors.com/2026/06/25/apple-explains-why-it-raised-prices/ Apple Announces Significant Price Increases for MacBooks, iPads, More — 9to5Mac https://9to5mac.com/2026/06/25/apple-price-increases-mac-ipad-more/ Substage — A Natural Language Command Bar for Your Finder Windows https://selkie.design/substage/ Toy Story 5 — Disney Movies https://movies.disney.com/toy-story-5
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#10
June 19 · 5 min
How  Vision Pro Immersive Content is Made, Harmony Remotes, Tech News Moves
A behind-the-scenes look at how Apple builds those immersive visionOS environments, Version History episode on the Harmony remote, how Australia's social media ban is actually playing out, a fun shortcut for yesterday's sports scores, and shake-ups happening in tech journalism. Get the Newsletter https://shortcut.bot/topfive How  Vision Pro Immersive Environments Are Made https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIqQSs6R-6Y Harmony remote: Control freak — Version History https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/harmony-remote-control-freak/id1840983742?i=1000772624848 How Australia's social media ban has affected families six months on — The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/15/how-australia-social-media-ban-has-affected-families-six-months-on Get Yesterday's Sports Scores https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/86378520115643f0b0feca437620d2d8 Eater, The Verge and SB Nation Sold to Penske Media — The Hollywood Reporter https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/eater-verge-sbnation-sold-penske-media-1236624828/ The Siri Demo Apple Didn't Show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtWNGnPj-kM The New Siri is Actually Good https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQ3lL68hNK4
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#9
June 12 · 3 min
Apple Vision Pro Future, Task App, Viticci's 10 Years at WWDC
Justin Ryan asks Apple if it's done with Vision Pro, Primary Technology was LIVE from Apple Park, Federico Viticci's reflective WWDC essay, and the beautifully designed Tasks app I'm about to try. Get the Newsletter I Asked Apple About visionOS 27 and Vision Pro Rumors Andrew Clare's YouTube Channel My WWDC 2026 Video Playlist WWDC 2026 LIVE from Apple Park | Primary Technology WWDC 2026: Between Seasons | MacStories macOS Wall of Text | Basic Apple Guy Tasks: Todo Lists & Kanban
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#8
June 5 · 4 min
MacVince Channel, Gruber on TBPN, Designed in California
MacVince is making incredible YouTube content about apps, John Gruber guesting on TBPN, the Kickstarter for Mike Hurley and Jason Snell's new Apple history podcast, the $10 Mac app I use to grab text from anything, and Amy Poehler's great hang with Judge Judy. Get the Newsletter https://shortcut.bot/topfive MacVince's New Mac Apps https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06Zn0NVoG2g&t Gruber on TBPN https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-origin-explosion-enterprise-ai-hits-spending-limits/id1772360235?i=1000770241038&t=1753 TBPN Episode on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/live/sQVwLUxFdMY?si=EXKp-3QZS64Y1Idp&t=1998 Designed in California: An Apple History Podcast https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/designedincalifornia/designed-in-california-an-apple-history-podcast TextSniper https://apps.apple.com/us/app/textsniper/id1528890965?mt=12 Judge Judy Sheindlin — Good Hang with Amy Poehler https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-hang-with-amy-poehler/id1795483480?i=1000724534033
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#7
May 29 · 4 min
Bob Ross × Mozart × Ferrari
Ferrari's first EV designed by Jony Ive, Sundar Pichai on Google's AI future, a seven-year-old video about the word you say every day, and a new RSS reader worth trying. Get the Newsletter https://shortcut.bot/topfive Ferrari Luce Interior — MKBHD https://youtube.com/watch?v=6Reu1WS3BhM How Sundar Pichai Is Rethinking Google for the AI Era — Decoder with Nilay Patel https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/decoder-with-nilay-patel/id1011668648?i=1000769616958 Focused — with David Sparks and Mike Schmitz Note: My Episode releases Tuesday, June 2nd https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/focused/id1138055739 Why we say "OK" — Vox https://youtu.be/1UnIDL-eHOs Amethyst https://amethyst.news Inventory Shortcut https://shortcut.bot/3RA2Pvb Inventory Shortcut Demo https://youtube.com/shorts/8c9hMTDAZr0 Bob Ross × Mozart × Fortnite https://youtube.com/watch?v=q5HAEgkIaRM
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#6
May 22 · 5 min
Creating vs Consuming, Arctic RV, Making iPhone Apps on iPhone
A YouTube gem on making instead of consuming, the Antarctic Snow Cruiser disaster, an Apple Vision Pro doc on Real Madrid, the social app that unifies Bluesky and Mastodon, and Google brings vibe coding to Android phones. Get the Newsletter stop being an audience member of your own life — YouTube Apple TV renews 'Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars' for a second season — 9to5Mac Knife's Edge on Apple TV The Antarctic Snow Cruiser — Omnibus — Apple Podcasts Real Madrid Immersive Documentary Releases This Friday on Apple Vision Pro — MacStories Indigo for Bluesky & Mastodon — App Store Google AI Studio news from Google I/O 2026 — The Keyword 447: 'A Sociopathic Father' — The Talk Show With John Gruber — Apple Podcasts
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#5
May 15 · 5 min
Antarctica's Secrets, I Am Not a Robot, Do You Hate AI?
Cleo Abram goes to Antarctica, Jonah Hill's interview on SmartLess, Joanna Stern's new book I Am Not a Robot is out, a few great Mac apps, and a commencement address clip reacting to AI. Get the Newsletter https://shortcut.bot/topfive Email Me hey@topfive.tech What's Really Under Antarctica - Cleo Abram https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfGEMCb6BQU Watch the SmartLess Live Show with Jonah Hill https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCvlPFnOC0o SmartLess Live with Jonah Hill on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jonah-hill-live/id1521578868?i=1000766700415 I Am Not a Robot https://www.amazon.com/Am-Not-Robot-Almost-Everything/dp/0063446618 Contextly App https://apps.apple.com/us/app/contextly-notes/id6762497168 Gnome - Share GIFs on a Mac https://lexfriedman.com/gnome/ Today Menu Bar App https://sindresorhus.com/today UFC Commencement Video - Cabel Sasser on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/cabel.panic.com/post/3mlk75u3om22e
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#4
May 8 · 5 min
Hannah Fry on Claude, Acquired's Starbucks Story, Animated Earth
Hannah Fry tests what AI agents can really do, the founding story of Starbucks on Acquired, the rise of clip farms, massive new data center debacle, and the Earth like no one has seen. Get the Newsletter https://shortcut.bot/topfive Hannah Fry on Claude https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnzR5aOElvw Acquired: Starbucks with Howard Schultz https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/acquired/id1050462261?i=1000657758174 The Clippening — The Verge https://www.theverge.com/report/920005/social-media-clipping-podcasts-clavicular-marketing-mrbeast Claude and Grok as Roommates — 512 Pixels https://512pixels.net/2026/05/claude-and-grok-roommates/ Hovercraft — Sandwich Vision https://sandwich.vision/hovercraft Earth GIF from Artemis II — Hank Green https://youtu.be/OdO_g1S_MBU?si=9-QyFTfIZN_2eGjC
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#3
May 1 · 5 min
AI Chatbots IRL, Software Brain, Vision Pro Rumors
John Oliver tackles AI chatbots, Nilay Patel on the AI backlash, swirling Vision Pro and MagSafe rumors, a fun wallpaper shortcut, and my take on actually useful AI. Get the Newsletter AI Chatbots — Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Decoder with Nilay Patel — Apple Podcasts The people do not yearn for automation — The Verge Apple Reportedly Gives Up on Vision Pro After M5 Refresh — MacRumors Apple Questioning Whether to Drop MagSafe from iPhone — MacRumors Jon Prosser: "Vision Pro ain't dead fam" Basic Gradient Wallpaper Shortcut Patel: Software Brain — Daring Fireball 15 Useful Ways I Use AI Every Day
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#2
April 24 · 5 min
New Things, Hans Zimmer, Tim Cook Leadership Lesson
Joanna Stern launched her "New Things," a look inside Hans Zimmer's Remote Control Studios, Jason's great commentary on Tim Cook, and on retiring from content creation (not me). Get the Newsletter https://shortcut.bot/topfive Watch the Private Video https://youtu.be/WcK0DdUcazk Why I Quit The Wall Street Journal To Start This YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qd2Dyr0m3BI Tim Cook Steps Down. And Who is John Ternus? — With Joanna Stern https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXOLfijQzQc Inside Hans Zimmer's Remote Control Studios — Twenty Thousand Hertz https://www.20k.org/episodes/hans-zimmers-remote-control Community Letter from Tim - Apple https://www.apple.com/community-letter-from-tim/ Tim Cook’s Farewell Letter Just Revealed His Most Important Leadership Habit https://apple.news/ADYipKBtITUKNC-wuMSx6jw Backup Your Shortcuts https://shortcut.bot/shortcutsbackup I'm Retiring… Gerald Undone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBqNa6Xa3Ns
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#1
April 16 · 4 min
Mythos, Capture, and AT&T
What's the story on Mythos AI from Anthropic, a fascinating AT&T history lesson, a must-read Sam Altman profile, and the best app I’m using to save everything. Get the Newsletter! Watch this on YouTube --- Watch: Hank Green Interview on Mythos Listen: Western Electric 500: Monopoly phone Video version Read: Sam Altman May Control Our Future—Can He Be Trusted? — The New Yorker Primary Tech Chapter on Sam Altman Download: Capture App Deep: Reconcilable Differences #284: Burger Boy I Deleted My Second Brain
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