Diggnation (Rebooted): “Apple AirPods Pro 3: Translation, Heartbeats, and Weird Science” | Episode 20 (September 22, 2025)

Episode Overview

Diggnation returns after a 15-year hiatus, with hosts Kevin Rose and Alex Albrecht diving into the tech and internet stories that are catching their attention. In this episode, they review the newly announced Apple AirPods Pro 3, discuss their take on mindfulness in a hyper-connected era, roast the latest Meta AI glasses demo, break down the flood of new Apple products, and debate whether the internet can ever be “fun again.” All served up in the show’s trademark irreverent, couch-surfing banter.

Main Discussion Segments & Timestamps

1. New Studio, Mindfulness, & Phone Addiction (00:40–09:13)

• Studio moves: The guys recount being kicked out of their WeWork-adjacent office and now recording from Alex's new ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) turned studio.
• Personal artifacts: Kevin gives a tour of his meditation pad, Japanese artifacts, and Susan Kare's signed Mac icon art (“Piece of history” – Kevin, 03:25).
• Mindfulness & phone addiction: Discussion about always being online, even during mundane moments; both admit to doomscrolling during bathroom breaks and TV commercials.
  • “I started doing this thing ... even when I go pee, I’ll take my phone out looking at Instagram.” – Alex, 04:37
  • “It’s a lost art at this point, sadly. ... That just used to be what we did.” – Kevin, 06:00
• Social media’s mental load: Comparing different algorithm feeds – political vs. hobby-centric – and its impact on mood.
  • “The machine that exists is encouraged by making you angry and afraid. That is how it keeps you engaged. ... That is people stealing time from you you’ll never get back.” – Alex, 07:34

2. Meditation, Wellness Gadgets, and Audiophile Geeking (09:13–14:00)

• Gadgets for wellness: Show and tell with light therapy face masks, skin peptide creams (One Skin), and “Nothing” headphones with touch controls.
• Skepticism around wellness trends: Kevin notes his investment in One Skin but suggests, “look at the studies, don’t just buy it because I said to” (12:09).
• Routine stacking: Plan for “perfect” relaxation – peptides, massage mask, headphones, and being present in the moment.

3. Catching Up, Meetups, and Calendar Nihilism (14:15–18:38)

• San Francisco Digg meetup: Anecdotes about reconnecting with the Digg community, plans for a Chicago stopover, and favorite local pizza (Pequod’s).
• Contrasting lifestyles: Show-off between Kevin’s jam-packed calendar and Alex’s “one entry: Diggnation.”
  • “Why am I still working and you just get to chill?” – Kevin, 18:37
  • “You gotta grab life by the nut sack when you get it.” – Alex, 18:32

Deep Dive: Apple AirPods Pro 3 and Fall Apple Event (18:52–36:49)

AirPods Pro 3 Early Impressions (18:52–22:36)

• Key features discussed:

  • Real-time in-ear language translation (“We’re getting to the Holy Grail!” – Alex, 20:15)
  • Built-in heart rate sensor and fitness tracking directly from the AirPods
  • Live translation as a game changer for travel
  • Noise canceling and fit still divisive (Alex mentions odd sensations with earbuds)

• Demo/test: An informal live “hearing test” between the hosts, revealing their “hearing age.”

iPhone Air and More Apple Tidbits (22:36–36:49)

• iPhone Air initial reactions:

  • Both hosts picked one up; neither wants to use a phone case for aesthetic reasons.
  • Color choices riff: “I call it morning wood.” – Alex, 26:09
  • Nostalgia for the original MacBook Air media event.

• Accessory spotlight: MagSafe wallets, Coinbase credit cards, digital IDs, travel hacks with PointsMe.

• Laptop rumors: Touchscreen Macs and MacBooks running on iPhone processors — speculation that Apple is setting up for hyper-thin, ARM-powered devices.

  • “If I had something half as thin with double or triple the battery life ... done.” – Kevin, 37:38

Show-within-a-show: The “Sky” Custom Alarm Demo (31:10–35:17)

• Demo of “Sky” (alpha): AI alarm that gives a personalized, spoken briefing in the morning, combining calendar events, email, Spotify, and life admin reminders.
  • “Imagine that’s six weeks. In a year, that’ll be fully dialed into you.” – Kevin, 35:03
  • Alex: “… I would be very stressed if that’s how I woke up every morning” (34:10)

Tech & Lifestyle Fails: Meta AI Glasses Demo, Samsung Smart Fridge Ads (43:31–58:28)

Meta AI Glasses & Augmented Reality Skepticism (43:31–54:29)

• Meta’s new Ray-Ban glasses: Hosts reflect on the social discomfort of face-computers and privacy skirmishes since Google Glass.
• Live meta demo fail: Showcased AI failed to assist with a cooking demo (“The Wi-Fi might be messed up” blamed, but actually just a bad answer, not network-related). [51:11]
  • “AI said ‘you’ve already combined the ingredients.’ ... It wasn’t like, ‘I can’t talk to the Internet’.” – Kevin, 52:55
• Tech critique:
  • Moments are new digital currency (attention is being further mined).
  • Dystopian vision: Devices steal every idle moment of your day.
  • Photo-editing AI erasing reality: “That’s the perfect version of that moment … but that’s not the moment that happened.” – Alex, 50:08

Samsung Smart Fridges Will Show Ads (55:12–58:57)

• Confirmed: Samsung’s $1,800+ smart refrigerators to run ads on the built-in screens (even after initial purchase via software updates).
  • “Talk about stealing time from you. You walk by the kitchen, you’re seeing a KFC ad.” – Alex, 57:33
• Pushback expected: The guys note the absurdity and looming backlash as companies try to find new “surface area” for advertising.

Community & Meta Conversations: Making the Internet Fun Again? (61:48–69:05)

• Audience Q&A (via Digg user florp): Is it possible to make the internet fun again, given the 2020s climate?
  • Kevin: Digg is trying to re-create positive, niche-based community spaces, but the boundaries of “politics” now spread into every topic.
  • Future plans include using AI to auto-moderate feeds, allow users to filter (or expose themselves to) contentious topics, and create a choose-your-own-content experience.
    • “One of the things that’s nice about AI is you can say, ‘AI, I want to task you with removing all politics-type banter from my feed’.” – Kevin, 63:43
  • Transparent discussion about trial-and-error in new features, aiming to create something meaningfully different from Reddit.

Memorable Quotes & Funny Moments

• “You've got to grab life by the nut sack when you get it.” – Alex, 18:32
• “You get your morning wood iPhone – that’s the new color.” – Alex, 26:09
• “It’s not called the Face Fucker — we called it that!” – Kevin, 13:27
• “We’re getting to the Holy Grail – universal translator from Star Trek!” – Alex, 20:15
• “The machine that exists is encouraged by making you angry and afraid ... that is people stealing time from you you’ll never get back.” – Alex, 07:34
• “The moments between looking at your phone and picking up your phone again– these glasses are trying to take that moment from you!” – Alex, 47:29
• “That’s the perfect version of that moment … but that’s not the moment that happened.” – Alex, 50:08

Miscellaneous Gems & Lighthearted Banter

• Childhood pranks reminisced: doorbell-ditching, toilet papering, and egging (74:14–78:45).
• “Slug rings” prank: Incidents of an apartment doorbell being rung by a slug, not teens – causing police confusion (74:14).
• Group gaming as modern bonding (“playing video games with friends still feels like hanging out” – Alex, 79:09).
• Kevin confesses to hiding tech purchases from his spouse using Monarch Money “hide” features (72:05).

Notable Segment Timestamps

| Segment | Topic | Timestamp | |---------|-------|-----------| | Intro, Studio Tour & Mindfulness | Life updates, mindfulness, gadget talk | 00:40–09:13 | | Gadget Demos & Meditation | Wellness, headphones, routine | 09:13–14:00 | | Reconnecting with Digg community | Meetups, calendars, lifestyle | 14:15–18:38 | | AirPods Pro 3, Apple Event | Live translation, heart rate, Apple gear | 18:52–36:49 | | “Sky” AI alarm demo | Personal AI assistant | 31:10–35:17 | | Meta AI Glasses, Demos | AR skepticism, tech fails | 43:31–54:29 | | Samsung Fridge Ads | Tech overreach, smart appliances | 55:12–58:57 | | Q&A: “Making the Internet Fun Again?” | Community, AI moderation | 61:48–69:05 | | Childhood Pranks & Wrap-up | Doorbell slug, pranking, sign-off | 74:14–80:49 |

Episode Tone & Takeaway

The episode is marked by an easy “friends-on-the-couch” vibe: irreverent, wry, and (still) sharply nerdy. Kevin and Alex blend thoughtful discussion on attention economics, AI, and community design with classic Diggnation humor and self-deprecation.

Bottom Line: The internet may be noisier, technologies weirder, and privacy at even greater risk, but Diggnation’s mission remains—find the fun, skewer the pretentious, and (maybe) build better digital communities, one inside joke at a time.