Episode Summary:
Brandt Krueger and Will Curran break down Apple's latest iPhone 17, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and AirPods Pro 3 announcements, finding the keynote more ordinary than expected after two years of blockbuster reveals. The conversation explores whether Apple's product lines are converging toward price point differentiation rather than feature distinction, examines the surprisingly pro-level camera capabilities that could replace traditional rigs, and debates the durability of the impossibly thin iPhone Air. Along the way, they discuss vapor cooling, the "plateau" (not a camera bump), concert etiquette, and why Brandt still refuses to wear white electric toothbrush heads in his ears.

Discussions Include:

• The iPhone 17 Pro's cinema-grade camera features like GenLock and multi-camera sync that are targeting professional videographers and content creators, potentially replacing traditional camera rigs in tight spaces
• Whether the ultra-thin iPhone Air can survive "BendGate 2.0" and if sacrificing camera capability for sleekness makes sense when you'll just throw a case on it anyway
• Apple's product differentiation strategy shifting from features to price points, with specs becoming more similar across the lineup except for camera count and storage tiers
• The AirPods Pro 3's heart rate sensing feature raising questions about redundancy in the Apple ecosystem when most users already have an Apple Watch for fitness tracking

Quotable Quotes (Should you choose to share):
"It's not a camera bump, ladies and gentlemen. It's a plateau." - Brandt Krueger

"I am not going to stick an electric toothbrush head in my ear. Just not. I'm just not." - Brandt Krueger (on AirPods)

"I started thinking to myself, I'm looking at my studio and I'm going like, maybe I just put up iPhones. Like- in the end they all wirelessly communicate to my Mac." - Will Curran

"They said something that really made me sad and I hope to God it's not right. They said 'This feature is great for concerts where you can record your reaction and the stage' and I go no no no no no." - Will Curran

"It felt kind of ordinary, to be perfectly honest." - Brandt Krueger (on the overall keynote)

Episode Summary:


In this episode of “Where’s the Future?”, Brandt Krueger and Will Curran experiment with podcast intros, share hard-won lessons in AI-driven task automation, and reminisce about the wild west of search engines. The conversation shifts from the quirks of cloud storage and the pitfalls of syncing, to an in-depth look at new Philips Hue product announcements, culminating with palpable excitement for upcoming smart home innovations. Sprinkled throughout are community shoutouts, tech rants, and nimble pivots between AI fatigue and genuine gadget enthusiasm.

Discussions Include:

• Experimenting with AI-generated podcast intros and the search for a unique theme sound - HELP US!!
• The practical frustrations and promise of agentic browsers, scheduling tasks, and project-based GPT memory
• Cloud storage headaches with Google Drive and OneDrive, and why more physical storage is always a safe bet
• Upcoming innovations and leaks in the Philips Hue smart lighting ecosystem, including smarter, cheaper bulbs, string lights, and expanded hub capabilities

Quotable Quotes (Should you choose to share):

• “Just take to the bridge...” – Brandt Krueger
• “I was so frustrated that something that was so consistently good at, ‘Hey, you put it in a folder, have a Google Drive save it for you, and it will be there,’ just turned into this nightmare. And I’m realizing now I’ve got to pay so much money for storage on Google cloud that used to be free” – Will Curran
• “[Person detection being added to Hue bulbs is] going to be something I think is super duper exciting to see what ends up happening from it. But is it going to, you know, work?” – Will Curran
• “You’re never going to regret having too much storage space. Right? You’re never going to regret that.” – Brandt Krueger

Episode Summary:
This inaugural episode of the WTF (Where’s the Future?) podcast features Brandt Krueger and Will Curran discussing their transition from the Event Tech Podcast, exploring early experiments with AI agentic browsers like Comet and Dia, their frustrations and hopes for AI tools, and the evolving landscape of the open web amid new AI data challenges.

They also discuss the approaching potential AI bubble and industry consolidation, as well as the democratization of app and tool creation through no-code platforms. Be sure to joint the WTF community to stay in touch between episodes! https://wtf.community

Discussions Include:
• Early experiences and challenges using AI agentic browsers to automate web tasks
• Current concerns around web scraping, data privacy, and the open web’s future
• The outlook on the AI bubble, industry hype, and the need for specialization in AI tools
• The rise of no-code app development and democratizing technology creation
• Highlights from the WTF community on emerging tech like Apple Watch updates and smart home devices

Quotable Quotes (Should you choose to share):
• “At first I was like- this is amazing! Then, my God, this is terrible. My God, you are so dumb! Wait, no, what? No. Actually? No. This is pretty cool? Nope, you’re just dumb.” - Brandt Krueger
• “We can see what it could be… It’s kind of like glimpsing out a window and seeing all the kids playing outside and you know that you could be that kid playing outside, but Perplexity and Comet Daddy won’t let you go out because you’re grounded.” - Will Curran
• “I think the opportunity is if we have leveled off on these Uber GPTs, that’s good because now we can focus on specialty- on unitaskers that do one thing really well.” - Brandt Krueger
• “The internet’s becoming more like a city with complex rules and less like free land where you could build whatever you wanted.” - Will Curran
• “The AI bubble means tons of money thrown at it, lots of people hired, then a collapse where the lower level people lose their jobs, but the big players get their guaranteed payouts.” - Brandt Krueger