381 - Eric's Cake Decorating in Spatial Computing

The latest In Touch With iOS with Dave he is joined by Jill McKinley, Ben Roethig, Chuck Joiner, Eric Bolden, Marty Jencius, Jeff Gamet,  visionOS beta improvements, standout Vision Pro creative apps, and iOS 26 beta 5 refinements. The panel discusses iPadOS performance boosts, AirPods charging updates, and CarPlay’s new compact call view. They also explore time zone glitches, Tim Cook’s $600B U.S. manufacturing push, ESPN’s NFL Network acquisition, and the macOS HD icon redesign, while touching on GPT-5’s debut and broader Apple ecosystem trends 

The show notes are at InTouchwithiOS.com

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Summary

In Episode 381 of In Touch With iOS, host David Ginsburg is joined by Ben Roethig, Jill McKinley, Marty Jencius, Chuck Joiner, Jeff Gamet, and Eric Bolden to explore the latest developments in Apple’s ecosystem. The panel dives into the newly released visionOS developer beta, with notable improvements to the personas feature, especially for glasses wearers, and discusses its stability and potential impact on developers. They highlight creative Vision Pro apps like Da Vinci, Procreate Dreams, and Reality Composer, envisioning how spatial computing could transform artistic expression.

The conversation moves to iOS 26 beta 5, focusing on interface refinements, performance gains, and AirDrop icon changes. They also review iPadOS updates like improved snap windows and background processing, watchOS and tvOS betas, and new AirPods charging indicators. CarPlay’s incoming call interface now uses a compact view, helping drivers maintain navigation visibility—an update the panel welcomes enthusiastically.

Other topics include time zone quirks in certain regions, Apple’s $600 billion U.S. manufacturing investment under Tim Cook, ESPN’s acquisition of NFL Network, and the transition away from legacy email services. The episode wraps with discussions on macOS Tahoe 26’s subtle refinements, a controversial redesign of the Macintosh HD icon, and OpenAI’s new GPT-5 model. This lively and wide-ranging episode blends hands-on impressions, practical tips, and spirited design debates, keeping listeners informed and entertained about the fast-moving Apple landscape 

Topics and Links

In Touch With Vision Pro this week. 

Apple releases developer beta 5 for visionOS 26

Top VisionOS Apps For Artists And Designers: Unleashing Creativity In Spatial Computing

Da Vinci Eye: Art Projector on the App Store

Beta this week. 

Apple releases iOS 26 beta 5 for iPhone

iPadOS 26 beta 5 is available now, here’s what to expect 

Apple Releases Second iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 Public Betas

watchOS 26 beta 5 rolling out for Apple Watch now - 9to5Mac

tvOS 26 beta 5 now available for Apple TV 4K 

Apple Seeds Second Public Betas of tvOS 26 and watchOS 26

Here's the redesigned AirDrop icon in iOS 26

Everything new in iOS 26 beta 5lk

Apple Upgrades AirPods Charging in iOS 26

iOS 26: Get a Callback Reminder for a Missed Call

CarPlay in iOS 26 has a new, improved solution for phone calls - 9to5Mac

Listener Cletus has this issue in iOS 26 Fixed: Time Zone Cannot Be Set Manually Due to Device Restrictions 

AI

OpenAI Brings Faster, Smarter GPT-5 Model to ChatGPT Users 

In Touch With Mac this week

macOS Tahoe 26 developer beta 5 is out, here’s what’s new

Apple Seeds Second macOS Tahoe Public Beta

macOS Tahoe 26 beta 5 retires the old Macintosh HD icon

Apple rolls out RC versions of macOS 15.7 and 14.8 betas to developers

Apple’s big investment in the United States

Apple Announces American Manufacturing Program, Promises to Spend $600 Billion

Apple, Corning to manufacture all iPhone, Apple Watch cover glass in Kentucky

Samsung to produce image sensors for Apple’s iPhone in Texas

News

Apple Original Films’ summer blockbuster “F1 The Movie” accelerates back into IMAX

Apple TV+ Press

Here's How Much It Costs to Sue Apple

Xfinity Email move to Yahoo Mail

ESPN buys NFL Network and NFL gets 10

Comcast, YouTube TV & Other Cable & Streaming Subscribers Will Get Access to the New ESPN App

Tim Cook becomes Apple’s longest‑serving CEO - As of August 1, 2025, Tim Cook surpassed Steve Jobs with 5,091 days at the helm of Apple.

Shout out to Phil F that’s for buying me some coffees he enjoyed episode 380. 

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Our Host

Dave Ginsburg is an IT professional supporting Mac, iOS and Windows users and shares his wealth of knowledge of iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV and related technologies. Visit the YouTube channel https://youtube.com/intouchwithios follow him on Mastodon @daveg65, , BlueSky @daveg65  and the show @intouchwithios

 

Our Regular Contributors

Jeff Gamet is a podcaster, technology blogger, artist, and author. Previously, he was The Mac Observer’s managing editor, and Smile’s TextExpander Evangelist. You can find him on Mastadon @jgamet Pixelfed @[email protected] and Bluesky @jgamet.bsky.social‬ Podcasts The Context Machine Podcast  Retro Rewatch Retro Rewatch His YouTube channel https://youtube.com/jgamet

Marty Jencius, Ph.D., is a professor of counselor education at Kent State University, where he researches, writes, and trains about using technology in teaching and mental health practice. His podcasts include Vision Pro Files, The Tech Savvy Professor and Circular Firing Squad Podcast. Find him at [email protected]  https://thepodtalk.net 

Eric Bolden is into macOS, plants, sci-fi, food, and is a rural internet supporter. You can connect with him by email at [email protected], on Mastodon at @[email protected], on his blog, Trending At Work, and as co-host on The Vision ProFiles podcast.

 

Jill McKinley works in enterprise software, server administration, and IT. A lifelong tech enthusiast, she started her career with Windows but is now an avid Apple fan. Beyond technology, she shares her insights on nature, faith, and personal growth through her podcasts—Buzz Blossom & Squeak, Start with Small Steps, and The Bible in Small Steps. Watch her content on YouTube at @startwithsmallsteps and follow her on X @schmern.

Ben Roethig Former Associate Editor of GeekBeat.TV and host of the Tech Hangout and Deconstruct with Patrice  Mac user since the mid 90s. Tech support specialist. X @benroethig and all other social media @benroethig.   Website: https://roethigtech.com/

Chuck Joiner is the host of MacVoices and hosts video podcasts with influential members of the Apple community. Make sure to visit macvoices.com and subscribe to his podcast. You can follow him on Twitter @chuckjoiner and join his MacVoices Facebook group.