Episode published on 05/06/2026
AI generated summary of the episode
In this episode of the Waveform podcast, hosts Marques, Andrew, and David look ahead to WWDC 2026, predicting a major privacy-focused Siri AI revamp to counter Google’s Gemini features. The crew discusses the “wrist-maxing” fitness trend, covering Ellis’s frustrations with Garmin’s exercise search function, Google’s release of official design specifications for Fitbit Air accessories, and a unique third-party smart board mod for traditional Casio watches. Turning to software news, they examine Google’s new Search Console toggle that allows website owners to opt out of AI Overviews. The hardware spotlight falls on Apple Silicon’s rising competition: NVIDIA’s newly announced ARM-based RTX Spark Superchip, a MediaTek partnership aiming to deliver massive AI compute to thin laptops. Additionally, they break down the new Microsoft Surface Ultra laptop, Microsoft’s ban on employees using Claude for coding due to surging token costs, and a highly complex financial controversy regarding Elon Musk merging xAI losses into SpaceX balance sheets to auto-pump stock via index funds. The episode concludes with a competitive tech trivia segment centered around legacy Google Plus features.
| Resource Name & Type | Creator | Why it was Mentioned |
|---|---|---|
| Garmin Fenix 8 OLED (Tech Gear) | Garmin | Ellis mentioned wearing this massive smartwatch as part of his ongoing effort to test out more non-Apple fitness platforms during gym workouts. |
| Garmin Connect (iOS App) | Garmin | The hosts discussed using this companion application to log strength training metrics and manually correct tracking errors made by the watch. |
| Fitbit Air (Tech Gear) | The hosts reviewed this screenless fitness tracker, highlighting its popular community trend of being attached alongside traditional watches to the same strap. | |
| Whoop (Tech Gear) | Whoop | David mentioned wearing this subscription-based screenless fitness tracker to directly compare its analytics capabilities against the Fitbit Air. |
| Timex Marlin (Tech Gear) | Timex | David highlighted an online photo shared by Dan Seifert showing this classic mechanical watch cleanly paired with a modified Fitbit Air strap. |
| Apple Watch Ultra (Tech Gear) | Apple | David explained that he is dual-wristing this high-end rugged smartwatch alongside other trackers to stay prepared for upcoming software updates at WWDC. |
| Casio F-91W (Tech Gear) | Casio | Andrew highlighted wearing this classic digital watch after choosing to modify its internals with a custom hobbyist kit. |
| Ollee Watch Replacement Board (Tech Gear) | Ollee Watch | Andrew reviewed this custom $50 logic board that fits inside classic Casio cases to retroactively grant them Bluetooth capabilities and step tracking features. |
| Bevel (iOS App) | Bevel | The hosts mentioned this application because it interprets raw Apple Watch data to provide deep athletic recovery metrics similar to a Whoop subscription. |
| Google Search Console (Website) | Andrew noted that Google is testing a toggle within this portal allowing publishers to opt out of having their sites scraped for AI Overviews. | |
| Nilay Patel’s Interview with Sundar Pichai (Article) | The Verge | Marques referenced this discussion to highlight Google’s official stance on how AI Overviews will affect the quality and conversion rates of web traffic. |
| David Pierce’s Article on Gemini Spark (Article) | The Verge | David Imel recommended this piece for its detailed look at how deeply integrated and eerie Google’s AI assistant can be when handling highly personal context. |
| Gemini (iOS App) | The hosts thoroughly analysed the utility of the application’s morning brief feature for summarising active emails and calendar entries. | |
| Arc (Mac App) | The Browser Company | Marques praised this desktop web browser for compiling a highly detailed morning brief pulled from his open productivity and script-writing tabs. |
| Claude (Website) | Anthropic | The hosts discussed how Microsoft is phasing out employee access to this coding tool due to escalating operational token costs near the end of the fiscal year. |
| NVIDIA RTX Spark Superchip (Tech Gear) | NVIDIA | The crew debated the performance potential and laptop implementation of this new 3nm ARM-based processor designed to run local AI agent workflows. |
| Microsoft Surface Ultra (Tech Gear) | Microsoft | Andrew detailed the hardware specifications of this premium 15-inch laptop, noting its mini-LED touchscreen, black keyboard, and unannounced mystery port. |
| Project Solara Agent OS | Microsoft | David introduced this newly announced, Android-powered conceptual operating system built specifically for running AI agents across diverse concept hardware. |
| GitHub Copilot (Mac App) | GitHub / Microsoft | The hosts noted that Microsoft is leaning heavily into its own infrastructure by integrating this assistant directly into a new version of the Windows Terminal. |
| Hank Green’s Explainer Video on Index Funds (Website) | Hank Green | David referenced this video to highlight the potential economic risks of index funds being heavily concentrated with highly speculative AI companies. |
| Google Allo (iOS App) | David expressed nostalgia for this discontinued messaging app, praising its clean user interface, animations, and stickers compared to modern alternatives. |
Trivia Stats
Question 1
- Question: How many social media services did Google launch before Google Plus?
- Answer: 3. The three services were Google Buzz, Google Friend Connect, and Orkut. (Jaiku was originally considered but excluded because Google purchased it after it had already launched).
Question 2
- Question: While Google Plus did not stick around, one feature built into it eventually became a standalone product in 2013. What product was that?
- Answer: Google Hangouts.
Trivia Points Scored in This Episode:
- David Imel: 1 point (Correctly guessed the number of pre-Google Plus social network launches under Price Is Right rules)
- Marques Brownlee: 0 points
- Andrew Manganelli: 0 points
Total Standing Trivia Scores:
- David Imel: 30 points
- Marques Brownlee: 26 points
- Andrew Manganelli: 25 points
Show Notes
Episode Description
Next week is Apple’s WWDC conference, but this week was all about Microsoft. But first, Andrew showed off his new DIY smartwatch to Marques and David. Then they go over the new announcements from Microsoft and NVIDIA including a new chip that might finally be some competition for the M-series chips. Allegedly. Maybe. Of course, we wrap it all up with trivia!
Links:
9to5Google – Opting out of AI overview in Google search
Verge – Microsoft Project Solara Agent OS
Newswire – Microsoft Banks Claude Code
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