Apple’s iPhone event is scheduled for September 9. Prepare thy wallet.
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Polishing Cloth Updated⇢
Apple’s Polishing Cloth is now just $9. It is unclear if this cloth is in any way different from what debuted five years ago for $19.
According to Apple, it is compatible with these products:
iPhones:
- iPhone Air
- iPhone 17 Pro
- iPhone 17 Pro Max
- iPhone 17
- iPhone 17e
- iPhone 16 Pro
- iPhone 16 Pro Max
- iPhone 16
- iPhone 16 Plus
- iPhone 16e
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 15
- iPhone 15 Plus
- iPhone 14 Pro
- iPhone 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 14
- iPhone 14 Plus
- iPhone 13 Pro
- iPhone 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 13 mini
- iPhone 13
- iPhone SE (3rd generation)
- iPhone 12 Pro
- iPhone 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 12 mini
- iPhone 12
- iPhone 11 Pro
- iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone 11
- iPhone SE (2nd generation)
- iPhone XS
- iPhone XS Max
- iPhone XR
- iPhone X
- iPhone 8
- iPhone 8 Plus
- iPhone 7
- iPhone 7 Plus
- iPhone 6s
- iPhone 6s Plus
- iPhone 6
- iPhone 6 Plus
- iPhone SE (1st generation)
- iPhone 5s
- iPhone 5c
- iPhone 5
iPads:
Mac mini, Mac Studio Updated⇢
There’s big news in the land of small desktops. Jason Snell at Six Colors:
In a bit of a late-August surprise while the world awaits word on the next generation of iPhones, on Tuesday Apple announced two new processors, the M5 Ultra and M6, which help power new iterations of its Mac Studio and Mac mini desktop computers.
Mac mini with M6 and M5 Pro
The M6 is built with a new 2-nanometer process and comes with 12 CPU cores, up from the 10 found in the base M4 and M5. It packs six efficiency cores, four performance cores, and two super cores. Snell explains:
2026 Q&A: Relay Turns 12⇢
As is our annual tradition, Myke and I have published a Q&A to mark Relay’s anniversary. We took on listener questions about podcasting in general, changes at Relay over time, and whatever happened to B-Sides.
Tap to Pay Coming to Wal-Mart⇢
Younger People’s Pessimism Concerning AI is Growing⇢
Colleen McClain and Eugenie Park at the Pew Research Center:
Today, 52% of Americans say they are more concerned than excited about the increased use of AI in daily life – up from 37% in 2021. Another 9% are more excited than concerned and 37% say they’re equally excited and concerned, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted June 22-28, 2026.
Concern about AI for Americans over the age of 30 has been relatively stable, but not for people in their 20s and teens:
Connected 617: bleepin and bloopin⇢
A bunch of future Apple hardware has leaked in a beta of macOS Tahoe. The guys go through the list and then consider the iPad mini’s place in the world and the UI changes coming with Golden Gate.
My New Favorite Apple Computer⇢
RR Auction has something amazing for sale at the moment: an Apple I built for the Byte Shop.
The auction page has more details:
Well-preserved and fully functional ‘Byte Shop’–style Apple-1 computer (also commonly known as the Apple I, or Apple Computer 1), complete with all components and accessories required for operation, housed in a unique Smith-Corona typewriter case modified to fit the Apple-1.
This remarkable Apple-1, marked “01-0066” on the reverse side in security marker, is a highly original 8K system from the second batch of 50 Apple-1 computers produced and sold. While the marking alone does not establish that the computer was originally sold directly by The Byte Shop, the system displays several important Byte Shop–style characteristics, including its stock-number marking, its 8K configuration, and its original Datanetics Rev D keyboard with custom wired Apple-1 cable—the same keyboard-and-cable arrangement seen on known Byte Shop Apple-1 systems.
NASA’s Swift Observatory Telescope Doomed for Destruction
Kenneth Chang has the bad news at The New York Times (Gift Link):
NASA’s high-risk, high-reward attempt to save one of its space telescopes before it falls out of orbit has failed.
On Wednesday, NASA announced that a rescue spacecraft that was meant to grab onto the space agency’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory and push it into a higher altitude will not proceed. With the rescue mission called off, Swift, which has observed distant, powerful explosions in the cosmos since 2004, is expected to burn up in the atmosphere later this year.
Things 3’s Repeating Task Feature Restructured ⇢
After talking for years about Things’ lack of flexibility around repeating tasks, I have some good news, via the Cultured Code blog:
Repeating to-dos just got far more flexible, with two highly requested improvements: You can now complete them early, and easily reschedule them when plans change!
It took a while, but I think they really nailed this.
Memphis Moves Forward on Proposed 12-Month Data Center Moratorium
Earlier today Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro signed an executive order requiring data center projects to be regulated with “strict guardrails to hold data center developers accountable to the public interest” in areas of energy costs, environmental impact, and workforce development.
This action is just one on a growing list of legislation fueled by pushback against AI data centers across the country.
This evening, the Memphis City Council acted on a year-long moratorium on new data centers.
Relay Turns 12
Myke Hurley, marking the 12th anniversary of our company:
The versions of myself and Stephen who started this podcast network in 2014 feel incredibly different to me. We’ve learned a lot, changed a lot, adapted a lot, and sought new opportunities along the way.
I kind of feel like our personal journeys have mirrored Relay’s journey. There have been ebbs and flows in our business, as we have attempted to adapt and shift towards what we think the audience wants from us, what the business needs, and where we want to take things.