MacBreak Weekly #1007: They Plump When They Cook (January 14, 2026)

Host: Leo Laporte

Guests: Andy Ihnatko, Jason Snell, Doc Rock

Episode Overview

This week’s MacBreak Weekly is packed with major Apple news, industry moves, and deep dives into upcoming products and services. The headline: Apple officially partners with Google for AI—incorporating Gemini into Siri and other Apple Intelligence features. The crew also breaks down Apple's new Creator Studio suite, Chase taking over the Apple Card, changes to device unlocking rules, Vision Pro's immersive NBA broadcast, and much more.

1. Apple Partners with Google for AI in Siri and Apple Intelligence

[02:26] Main Topic Begins

• Apple announced Google Gemini will power Siri and foundation models for Apple Intelligence.

  • Not a rebranding: Gemini works as a white-labeled backend, not as “Gemini with a Siri skin.”
  • All data handled on Apple servers—privacy promises remain.

• How the partnership works:

  • Apple shifts away from its own in-house foundation models, opting for Google’s mature tech.
  • Multi-year agreement—possible to swap models later due to modular design.

“Apple’s replacing the models that its AI group developed with Google models. That goes not just to Siri but all Apple Intelligence features.”
—Jason Snell [03:41]

• Privacy and data:

  • Google gets zero user data for their own training.
  • Apple servers only; no cross-company data sharing.

• Why Google?

  • Apple considered Anthropic, OpenAI, possibly Meta and Microsoft.
  • Google’s experience and technical ability, especially with on-device models, were decisive.

“Google is specializing in building engines...If you need something custom built for your use case, I can’t think of how you could do better than Google.”
—Andy Ihnatko [14:04]

• Is Apple “picking the right horse?”

  • Open debate; competitors are close, but Apple is using modular approach and could change suppliers.
  • Anthropic best at coding, Google at image/gen tasks, OpenAI less of a fit for Apple’s privacy demands and architecture.

• Strategic angle:

  • Apple recognized lack of a deep talent pool for AI; business sense was to partner, not reinvent.
  • Google’s own need for on-device LLMs (Android) matched Apple’s goals.

“Knowing when to cut bait is something a lot of businesses don’t do. This was actually brilliant.”
—Doc Rock [08:10]

[19:36] Big Picture Impact

• By default, the world's two biggest mobile platforms (Android and iOS) will have Gemini-powered assistants.
• Competition among LLM providers remains fierce, which may keep prices down and options open for switching.
• Notable privacy relief: Google accepted restrictions—can’t use Apple/Gemini data for their own model training [29:30].

2. Apple Creator Studio: Apple Goes for Adobe

[48:34] New Pro Software Suite

• Apple consolidates and enhances their Pro creative apps under a subscription “Creator Studio” ($13/mo or $129/year).
  • Includes Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro (acquired by Apple 2024), Motion, Compressor, MainStage.
  • iWork suite (Pages, Numbers, Keynote) remains free, but unlocks extra features and templates for subscribers.

“Building a Pro bundle for a relatively low price...compared to Adobe, it's a great deal.”
—Jason Snell [49:54]

[53:07] Ecosystem Benefits and Concerns

• Deep integration: Numbers can be used to generate lower thirds in Final Cut, Logic can generate cut-downs with transcripts for video, etc.
• Some AI features (like formula generation in Numbers) are subscriber-only—sparking concerns over 'feature paywalling'.

“Turning iWork into a freemium app...features locked behind Pro apps feels gross...not for templates, but productivity features.”
—Jason Snell [56:58]

• Subscription model trade-off:
  • Good for those who need tools occasionally (pay for 1 month, use what you need).
  • Opens pro tools for a new generation who can't afford outright purchases.
  • Long-term pros and cons debated—especially as features for non-creators get tied to creator-focused bundle.

3. Vision Pro Gets Live NBA Game—Mixed but Promising

[73:47] Vision Pro Immersive Sports Experience

• NBA game broadcast live in immersive 3D for Vision Pro users—the technical feat impresses.
  • Multiple camera angles: scorer’s table (courtside), under basket, etc.
  • Users could switch between views; switching “cuts” caused some disorientation but quickly adjusted to by viewers.
  • Discussion of “film grammar” for immersive video as opposed to traditional cuts.

“Did they succeed at making it feel like you were at the basketball game – and doing it live? The answer is yes.”
—Jason Snell [77:59]

[84:35] What About Other Sports?

• F1 discussed: immersive video inside the car probably impractical, but dashboard/data overlays and custom UI could be killer features.
• MLB/football/golf/NASA launches: each would require unique approaches to leverage immersive video or data overlays.
• Anticipation for how Vision Pro could revolutionize sports viewing—functionality and production complexity discussed.

4. Other Major News

Apple Card Moves to Chase

• J.P. Morgan Chase to replace Goldman Sachs as backend for Apple Card.
  • All consumer-facing elements to remain unchanged for now; transition over two years [97:04].
  • Apple Card Monthly Installments (0% financing) remain.
  • MasterCard network unchanged.

Verizon Can Lock iPhones for Loan Duration

• FCC rule change allows Verizon to lock phones for entire payment plan, not just 60 days.
• Move viewed as "anti-consumer", but makes more installment plans possible.
• Recommendation: buy directly from Apple if you want an unlocked phone.

5. Notable Quick Hits

• iOS 26 Adoption Panic Debunked: Low adoption stats based on broken reporting of user agent string in Safari, not reality.
• **Safari design talent leaves for browser startup doing a new AI browser.
• Rogue Amoeba and Brent Simmons show how to remove Apple’s forced menu item icons in macOS 26.

6. Apple Creator Studio Discussion Continued

• Is subscriptions model fair for all users?

  • Concern that non-creators are forced into bundles for "smart" features in Numbers, Pages, etc.
  • Others argue the modular approach and new pricing lowers the barrier for creators.

• Educational pricing ($2.99/mo), 3 months free with new device purchase.

7. Picks of the Week

Doc Rock: Corsair Xenon Edge

14.5-inch touchscreen display, great for Mac streaming/monitoring.

Leo Laporte: Insta360 Link 2 Pro Webcam

4K AI-PTZ webcam with larger sensor and tracking. Noted a bundle oddity—may have been a pricing mistake.

Jason Snell: XT Ink X4 eReader (w/ Crosspoint firmware), Standard Ebooks

Tiny, cheap e-ink reader becomes usable with community firmware.

“Literally, go to the web page and click ‘update.’ Now it's usable.”

Andy Ihnatko: Original Dark Castle at Internet Archive

Classic black & white Mac game, now playable in browser.

8. Notable Quotes & Moments

• “Knowing when to cut bait is something a lot of businesses don’t do. This was actually brilliant.” —Doc Rock [08:10]
• “Google is specializing in building engines...If you need something custom built for your use case, I can’t think of how you could do better than Google.” —Andy Ihnatko [14:04]
• “Did they succeed at making it feel like you were at the basketball game—and doing it live? The answer is yes.” —Jason Snell [77:59]
• (On Apple software paywalls) “It feels like a bad fit. I wonder if there’s another shoe to drop.” —Jason Snell [62:08]
• “The Pro apps used to be so expensive. Now you can pay for a month, do your project, and turn it off...That’s a good thing.” —Jason Snell [62:00]

9. Memorable Lighter Moments

• Leo admits he fell for a phishing scam and had to cancel three credit cards [41:12].
• Extended banter on American snack food at sporting events and why “ballpark franks plump when you cook them” [95:19].
• Discussion of Apple Card’s titanium clank and the potential of credit cards as life-saving armor [101:15].

10. Closing Thoughts

• Apple is leaning into partnerships and smart strategies to fill gaps in AI and creative tooling.
• The Apple-Google deal is a strategic win for both companies, as long as privacy and modularity are respected.
• Vision Pro is inching closer to being a “killer app” for sports fans but requires new thinking for each sport's grammar of presentation.
• Subscription fatigue and feature gating are here, but so is access for a new generation of creators.
• Industrial talent shortages in AI and evolving product integration mean Apple’s approach will remain flexible.

Episode Timestamps (Quick Reference)

• 02:26 — Apple & Google AI partnership overview
• 14:04 — Why Google as Apple's choice
• 53:07 — Deep dive into Apple Creator Studio
• 73:47 — NBA Vision Pro experience
• 84:35 — Immersive sports: beyond basketball
• 97:04 — Apple Card moves from Goldman Sachs to Chase
• 114:16 — Verizon unlock policy change
• 148:00 — Picks of the Week

Hosts & Links

• Leo Laporte — TWiT
• Jason Snell — Six Colors, The Incomparable
• Andy Ihnatko — Andy on Bluesky
• Doc Rock — YouTube: Doc Rock

Listen to the full episode, subscribe, and find more details at MacBreak Weekly.