We sit down with writer and user researcher Leah Reich to explore the complex relationship between technology and the humans who use it. Leah shares insights from her newsletter and writing career before diving into the evolving landscape of user research in tech companies, including her time at Slack, Spotify, and Meta/Instagram.

We discuss the delicate balance between serving user needs and business goals, and examine the concerning industry shift away from comprehensive user research. Leah offers her personal perspective on the Apple Watch experience and we explore the broader implications of gamification in our digital lives—questioning whether turning everything into a game truly serves our wellbeing.

Links from the show:

• Friction is Necessary Resistance
• We Don’t Need No Innovation
• Ungamify Your Brain
• Leah Reich | Meets Most

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

Show transcripts and episode artwork are AI generated and likely contain errors and general si...

In this episode:

• Apple announces WWDC will be June 9-13
• Jeff is experimenting with Gentler Streak and having a bit of nostalgia with Notebook Artillery
• A subtle AirPods Pro experience
• The boys continue to argue over AI
• Ethan Mollick highlights study that finds legit benefits of AI at work

Links from the show:

• Mac - Lumon Terminal Pro
• ‘Severance’ editor was all-in on Apple hardware, but not Final Cut Pro
• ‎Workout Tracker Gentler Streak
• ‎Notebook Artillery
• ChatGPT Starts Blocking Studio Ghibli-Style Images After Trend Goes Viral
• The Cybernetic Teammate
• Artificial Intelligence Systems and Copyright
• The Tech Fantasy That Powers A.I. Is Running on Fumes

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

Show transcripts and episode artwork are AI generated and likely contain errors and general si...

Apple has updated the iPad Air, iPad, MacBook Air, and Mac Studio. The new Apple Immersive Metallica experience is phenomenal; is it a turning point for Apple's immersive content? And what in the world is going on at Apple with Siri?

Links from the show:

iPad Air

iPad

MacBook Air

Mac Studio

Apple Immersive Metallica

Something Is Rotten in the State of Cupertino

Apple’s (AAPL) Siri Chief Calls AI Delays Ugly and Embarrassing, Promises Fixes

AI search engines cite incorrect sources at an alarming 60% rate, study says

AI’s Real Hallucination Problem

An AI Coding Assistant Refused to Write Code—and Suggested the User Learn to Do It Himself

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

Show transcripts and episode artwork are AI generated and likely contain errors and general si...