Rivian’s rejection of CarPlay and physical buttons in favor of voice and AI control sees to question safety, convenience, data control, and long-term car software support. Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Jeff Gamet, Guy Serle, Web Bixby, Eric Bolden, Marty Jencius, and Jim Rea question whether Rivian has other motives, and then dive into Tesla updates, AI voice recreation of Stan Lee, Spider-Man ticket promotions, Dashlane concerns, and Andy Ihnatko’s new site.

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Show Notes:

Chapters:

00:00 CarPlay rejection, voice control, and Stan Lee’s voice
00:28 Rivian’s anti-CarPlay position begins the discussion
00:54 Why cars still need buttons and backup controls
02:07 Voice AI latency and Siri-like frustrations
02:28 Using cars as chatbots and where that idea breaks down
03:46 Rivian’s app-free vision and the limits of voice interaction
05:02 Why phone-based assistants still matter in the car
06:11 Location services, navigation, and route-based requests
06:49 Apple Maps possibilities without automaker control
07:43 AI assistants, missing service hooks, and driving distractions
09:07 Multitasking while driving and the safety argument
10:29 Physical buttons, cruise control, and unfamiliar rental cars
11:41 How CarPlay and Android Auto create interface consistency
12:11 Fully autonomous driving and the future of car interaction
13:31 Data control as the real motivation behind automaker interfaces
14:14 Phone upgrades, aging car hardware, and long-term software support
15:47 Grok built into Tesla and real-world responsiveness
17:23 Deep touchscreen menus and why voice interfaces appeal
18:43 CarPlay gaps, Tesla software updates, and improving vehicle tech
19:22 Tesla leasing, full self-driving, and subscription frustration
21:53 Nintendo music service surprise and side conversation
22:49 NordLayer sponsor message
24:17 Stan Lee’s AI voice and preserving distinctive performances
25:06 Amazon Prime early access for Spider-Man tickets
26:10 Theaters, home viewing, and changing movie experiences
27:11 Dashlane security concerns and Andy Ihnatko’s new site
29:06 Post-WWDC plans and panelist contact information
35:56 British Tech Network finale and related podcast projects
37:21 Live show wrap-up and audience invitation
38:50 Closing credits and support information

Links:

Rivian’s software chief thinks you don’t need CarPlay or buttons
https://www.theverge.com/podcast/929940/rivian-wassym-bensaid-software-volkswagen-carplay-assistant-ai

Nintendo Music just got a big update with support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
https://www.engadget.com/2185783/nintendo-music-just-got-a-big-update-with-support-for-apple-carplay-and-android-auto/

ElevenLabs partners with Stan Lee Universe for AI voice
https://thenextweb.com/news/elevenlabs-stan-lee-voice-likeness-ai

Amazon Prime members in the US can watch Spider-Man: Brand New Day two days early
https://www.engadget.com/2185485/amazon-prime-us-spider-man-brand-new-day-advanced-screening-july-29/

Hackers brute-forced Dashlane 2FA, downloaded encrypted vaults
https://thenextweb.com/news/dashlane-brute-force-attack-2fa-bypass-encrypted-vaults

Andy Ihnatko launches Ihnatko.com
https://sixcolors.com/link/2026/06/andy-ihnatko-launches-ihnatko-com/

Guests:

Web Bixby has been in the insurance business for 40 years and has been an Apple user for longer than that.You can catch up with him on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, but prefers Bluesky.

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

Jeff Gamet is a technology blogger, podcaster, author, and public speaker. Previously, he was The Mac Observer’s Managing Editor, and the TextExpander Evangelist for Smile. He has presented at Macworld Expo, RSA Conference, several WordCamp events, along with many other conferences. You can find him on several podcasts such as The Mac Show, The Big Show, MacVoices, Mac OS Ken, This Week in iOS, and more. Jeff is easy to find on social media as @jgamet on Twitter and Instagram, jeffgamet on LinkedIn., @jgamet@mastodon.social on Mastodon, and on his YouTube Channel at YouTube.com/jgamet.

David Ginsburg is the host of the weekly podcast In Touch With iOS where he discusses all things iOS, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch, and related technologies. He is an IT professional supporting Mac, iOS and Windows users. Visit his YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/daveg65 and find and follow him on Twitter @daveg65 and on Mastodon at @daveg65@mastodon.cloud.

Marty Jencius, Ph.D.,is a counselor educator and technology pioneer who has spent 30 years bringing emerging tech into his field — from founding one of the first professional listservs (CESNET-L) to podcasting, virtual reality, and now AI and AR. He is the founder of ThePodTalk.net, where he produces Vision ProFiles, The Old Mac Gang, A.I. Productivity Workflow, The Tech Savvy Professor, 15 Minute Bytes, The Neo Notebook, and Fade to Chat: Golden Age Cinema. He is also a regular panelist on MacVoices Live!, In Touch with iOS, and The Mac Show. Find him on Bluesky and Mastodon.

Jim Rea built his own computer from scratch in 1975, started programming in 1977, and has been an independent Mac developer continuously since 1984. He is the founder of ProVUE Development, and the author of Panorama X, ProVUE's ultra fast RAM based database software for the macOS platform. He’s been a speaker at MacTech, MacWorld Expo and other industry conferences. Follow Jim at provue.com and via @provuejim@techhub.social on Mastodon.

Guy Serle, best known for being one of the co-hosts of the MyMac Podcast, sincerely apologizes for anything he has done or caused to have happened while in possession of dangerous podcasting equipment. He should know better but being a blonde f...