MacBreak Weekly 1004: A Sad Farewell

Date: December 24, 2025
Host: Leo Laporte
Panelists: Andy Ihnatko, Jason Snell, Alex Lindsay
Special Guest: Dr. Paris Buttfield-Addison

Episode Overview

The final episode of MacBreak Weekly for 2025 is a bittersweet affair: a celebration of nearly 20 years of lively Apple and technology discussion and, most notably, the farewell to legendary panelist and founding member Alex Lindsay. The episode kicks off with holiday cheer and camaraderie before diving into a heartfelt sendoff for Alex, who is leaving to join Apple as a Partnership Manager for their 3D developer ecosystem. Beyond the emotional farewell, the crew discusses global Apple-related regulatory news, Apple's evolving hardware and software approaches, listener stories, VFX in modern media, and some recommendations to close out the year.

Table of Contents

1. Alex Lindsay’s Farewell and New Role at Apple
2. Dr. Paris Buttfield-Addison’s Apple Account Ordeal
3. Global Apple News: Regulatory Changes
4. Apple App Store Debates: Ads and Restrictions
5. Foldable iPhones: Rumors and Speculation
6. Vision Pro & 3D Ecosystem Future
7. VFX, AI, and the Future of Filmmaking
8. Holiday Picks of the Week
9. Notable Quotes & Moments
10. Timestamps Index for Key Segments

1. Alex Lindsay’s Farewell and New Role at Apple

Announcement and Reflections

• Alex reveals he’s joining Apple as Partnership Manager for the 3D ecosystem (Developer Relations) in January.

  "I'll be the partnership Manager for the 3D ecosystem starting in January." (03:00, Alex)

• Heartfelt response from the hosts:

  • Leo jokes about writing a giant, uncashable check as a counter-offer.
  • The team reminisces about nearly two decades together and Alex’s foundational role:

    "You were the founding member of MacBreak. You created the show." (08:00, Leo) "I can't believe it went 19 years... our first show was 19 years ago in January." (08:33, Alex)

What Happens to Office Hours?

• Office Hours will continue with a reshuffled schedule, and Alex will step back from hosting.

  "We've reduced the number of days... taking a little less pressure off of the panelists." (05:00, Alex)

MacBreak's Legacy

• Panelists reflect on the tradition of hosts leaving for big tech jobs and MacBreak’s 20-year journey.

2. Dr. Paris Buttfield-Addison’s Apple Account Ordeal

[16:18–27:08]

• Paris recounts how he lost access to his Apple account after buying a compromised gift card, resulting in effectively losing 20 years of digital life overnight.

  "So many things break that you don't expect... everything got stuck in a weird loop" (18:29, Paris)

• After significant escalation and media attention, Apple finally restored his access, though the process revealed concerning gaps in Apple’s system for account recovery.

  "They were like, This shouldn't be happening. Like, it is happening." (18:58, Paris) “Once you get sucked into the gears of a giant corporation, they themselves don’t exactly know how to extract you out of it.” (24:44, Leo)

• Memorable meme moment:

  Leo references Paris’s blog meme: "Darth Tim Apple: I am altering the terms. Pray I don't alter them any further." (21:32, Leo)

3. Global Apple News: Regulatory Changes

[32:48–38:31]

• Apple Watch hypertension feature receives approval in Australia.

  • Andy: "If it does flag hypertension, the people who go in almost inevitably have it confirmed by doctors. Another big win for Apple Watch." (32:49)

• Apple agrees to alternative app stores in Brazil due to regulation, with similar stories in Japan and the EU.

  • Jason and panel discuss the implications and inevitability:

    "It's a chink in the armor... this is a three-year deal." (34:12, Leo) "I really think... inside Apple there's the assumption that the entire world will have some sort of App store restrictions." (34:22, Andy)

• Contrast between US and international regulatory environments for app stores debated.

  • Alex: "None of the [US] users care. Not a significant number of them care about this." (35:40)

4. Apple App Store Debates: Ads and Restrictions

[81:10–88:05]

• Apple to further increase ads in App Store search results.

  • Jason: "I hate the fact that Apple is charging developers... and then, of the 70% you got, you have to spend it on search ads for your own product's name..." (82:45)
  • Andy: "The number of times on both App Stores... it’s clearly trying to make you think [the ad] is the app you want." (81:28)

• Consumer confusion and the degradation of App Store discovery lamented by all.

  • Alex: "It reduces the enjoyment there is in buying new apps... And as Andy said, so many copies of everything." (86:24)

5. Foldable iPhone: Rumors and Speculation

[95:04–102:12]

• Rumors swirl around Apple's foldable phone, with credible leaks suggesting a form factor closer to an iPad mini than a standard phone.

  • Andy: "The idea was to make it look like a horizontal iPad mini... it looks kind of smaller than what I would be in love with." (96:44)
  • Jason: "If I could have an iPhone that was also an iPad, a small iPad..." (98:54)

• Apple's strength: software excellence from years of iPad development.

  • Jason: "The number one asset Apple will have in doing a foldable is that they've been doing the iPad for 15 years and they know what they're doing." (99:58)

6. Vision Pro & 3D Ecosystem Future

[102:12–110:26]

• Panel takes one last round of Vision Pro speculation with Alex before his new Apple role—much to Leo’s delight:

  • “Would you just for the benefit of our audience... say ‘8K per eye’ one last time so we can all have a drink in your honor?” (110:11, Leo)
  • "8k per eye, 120 frames per second. What we're hoping for is 120 frames per second, 8K per eye, HDR." (110:14, Alex)

• Alex talks about the technical limits and potential of immersive video:

  • "Even with the power of the Vision Pro right now, we can't push the full quality that the camera is capturing to it." (103:12)

• Prediction: Apple’s next big leaps in immersive and 3D content are tied to advances on both hardware and content creation.

7. VFX, AI, and the Future of Filmmaking

[117:29–126:30]

• In-depth conversation about the pervasiveness—often invisibility—of VFX in modern film and TV.
  • Jason: "Every show you watch, every movie you watch, there's a thing in it that is completely a VFX shot, a complex VFX shot. And you will never think there could be VFX..."
  • Alex shows before/after of extensive VFX on even low-budget productions:

    "[describing green screen composite]...But that's like a simple little movie and those happen all the time." (124:05)

• AI’s role: rapid advances will endanger jobs for extras and change cityscapes and background work, but the highly nuanced ‘close up’ character acting remains out of reach for now.

8. Holiday Picks of the Week

[127:19–140:09]

Alex Lindsay:

• Homey Pro
  • Local, nodal, visual smart home automation box that ties into multiple protocols (Zigbee, Z-Wave, Matter, Thread) and has a powerful, intuitive user interface.
  • "I'm just getting started with this, but I'm pretty sure I might have found the answer for my... automation itch." (127:19)

Andy Ihnatko:

• Music:
  • Ella Fitzgerald – Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas

    "This is the standard unit of Christmas album." (131:00)

• Audiobook:
  • Patrick Stewart – A Christmas Carol (solo performance)

    "It is sincerely... my favorite version of A Christmas Carol." (134:03)

Jason Snell:

• Books:
  • Annalee Newitz – Automatic Noodle
  • Robin Sloan – Moonbound ("probably the best book I read this year," 136:28)
• TV:
  • The Pit (TNT & HBO Max)
  • Ludwig (BBC/BritBox)
  • Pluribus, Department Q, Severance (Season 2)
• Podcast:
  • The Rest is History

    "My favorite podcast of the last couple of years. Just great storytellers." (140:09)

9. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Leo to Alex:

  "You were the founding member of MacBreak. You created the show." (08:00)

• Alex on his career arc:

  "To get to go back and think about that [writing Apple graphics apps in 1982]... I'm pretty excited." (141:09)

• Jason on Apple's App Store ad model:

  "It does feel like a protection racket." (82:45)

• Leo on account lockout stories:

  “Once you get sucked into the gears of a big corporation, they themselves don’t exactly know how to extract you out.” (24:44)

• Paris Buttfield-Addison summarizing Apple's recovery experience:

  "They were like, This shouldn't be happening. Like, it is happening." (18:58, Paris)

• Andy on open vs. closed app ecosystems:

  "Just in principle, it's better to be a little bit more open than totally closed." (38:31)

• Signature Alex Lindsay catchphrase (final sign-off):

  "Get back to work, because break time is over." (144:03)

10. Timestamps Index for Key Segments

• Holiday Banter and Panel Intros: 00:00–02:16
• Alex's Career Announcement & Goodbyes: 02:16–14:25
• Alex on Office Hours Future: 04:54–06:00
• Office/WFH, Moving to Cupertino: 09:35–11:03
• Panel Reflects on Departures/Hosting History: 14:25–15:44
• Dr. Paris Buttfield-Addison's Story: 16:18–27:08
• Australia Apple Watch Medical Feature: 32:48–33:07
• Brazil/Japan/EU App Store Regulation: 33:07–36:57
• Class Action and US Market Speculation: 36:57–38:31
• App Store Ad Creeping: 81:10–88:05
• App Discovery Decline: 88:05–89:26
• Foldables Discussion: 95:04–102:12
• Vision Pro Predictions: 102:12–110:26
• AI, VFX, and Modern Filmmaking: 117:29–126:30
• Farewell, Reflections, and Final Word: 140:12–144:03

Final Words

As MacBreak Weekly closes a chapter, Leo, Jason, Andy, and (especially) Alex remind listeners just how enduring the show's spirit and community remain. Farewell to Alex Lindsay—the panel and audience alike will sorely miss his wit, wisdom, technical mastery, and unmistakable “8k per eye” enthusiasm. Onward to 2026: Get back to work, because break time is over!