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 I was listening to an interview with the creators of the hit Netflix TV show Stranger Things and something they said has stayed with me ever since. When asked why they set the backdrop as the 1980’s they said it was because it was an era before cell phones. So much of the plot would’ve been impossible if characters in the show could simply call their parents or the police. The show would’ve been impossible in a more modern setting.
 So Apple had their big annual iPhone unveiling party this week. I’ve had a few days to think about what I may want to upgrade and I’ve settled on these two items.
 I’ve been using my M1-powered iPad Pro as my main computer for years now and I have no complaints. This however, isn’t the kind of article that you’re going to see written in the Apple blogosphere. It’s boring and doesn’t have an “angle”.
 Every now and then I’ll stumble upon a feature which I love about my Apple Watch so much that I can’t help but tell people about it. And it’s an infectious kind of fun because the people I tell usually don’t know about it and they get all excited too. I’m talking about location based reminders. And I’m a little embarrassed to write about this latest feature because it’s probably been out for years now and I’ve only just discovered it last week.
 When it comes to Europe there are two things happening at the same time which I have a hard time getting my head around. One is that the EU, at the behest of European companies, is constantly attacking American tech companies such Apple and Google. And the other is that Russia is eyeing Europe like a wolf staring into the hen house.
 The tech media has long been anti-Apple for a variety of reasons. If there is any possible way to portray Apple in a negative light, they will sniff it out. But even knowing that, I was still amazed in the last couple of months to see how the tech press has changed their tune to maintain a negative slant on Apple’s new Vision Pro headset.The tech media has long been anti-Apple for a variety of reasons. If there is any possible way to portray Apple in a negative light, they will sniff it out. But even knowing that, I was still amazed in the last couple of months to see how the tech press has changed their tune to maintain a negative slant on Apple’s new Vision Pro headset.
 I’ve been preaching for years that the future is about bringing the world to you and not about bringing you to the world. Moving people and packages quickly over long distances is what the 20th century was all about. Mankind invented railroads, automobiles, and airplanes to do the previously unthinkable. Traveling around the world in 80 days was once such a preposterous thought that it was considered science fiction about the far future. Now, Taylor Swift travels around the world in a single day to sing in Tokyo and rush back to watch her boyfriend play in the Super Bowl.
 If there is anything I’ve learned about tech in the past 30 years it is that people always appreciate larger screens. I remember back in the early 2000’s how everyone wanted those 42” Plasma TVs because it made their 32” TV seem so small. And now 70” TVs are everywhere. It’s the same story with watches, phones, and tablets. Bigger screens are always better.
 I’m completely in love with my HomePods. Nothing else in my home makes me feel like I’m in the future which I dreamed of as a kid more than my HomePods. Yeah, the sound is amazing from my full-sized HomePods but it goes way beyond the rich sound and deep bass.
 Video has become the preeminent mode of communication in our time. What was once mainly a form of entertainment has now become how most people get their news, learn how to do things, or rant about social issues. No, reading will never go away. But that has transitioned to become the 2nd line of deeper study. If we discover something on video, and subsequently want to do a deeper study about that subject, THEN we go read about it.
 Europeans often bristle at the idea of American Exceptionalism. They will indignantly ask what is better about “The American Way”. Well, they just made the case for us. The European Union has been relentlessly attacking American tech companies in the past few years. They do it under the guise of “helping the consumer” but nothing could be further from the truth.
 Back before Apple launched their streaming video service, I was quite skeptical that it was the right move. Apple was a laggard in the streaming video space and I didn’t think that they had the time to build a market from scratch. I thought that they needed to purchase an established player to make up for lost ground.
 After rocking the latest iPhone 15 Pro Max and Apple Watch Ultra 2 I can say definitively that the Apple Watch steals the show. The new iPhone is a great upgrade. Coming from the 13 Pro Max the camera upgrades and action button are a joy to behold. But I interact with my Apple Watch many more times during the day than I ever do with my iPhone. Not more minutes, but more interactions.
 Apple did it again. Before the announcement of the new Apple Watch features I was fairly certain that I probably would NOT upgrade my Apple Watch this year. But I promptly placed my pre-order for my Apple Watch Ultra 2 after walking into the reality distortion field.
 Cult of Mac is reporting that Apple has warned the UK that it would rather shut down iMessage and FaceTime services to their country rather than weaken security and allow government snooping. To which I say “Bravo!”. Here is an excerpt:
 If you’re thinking about buying an Apple Watch Ultra DON’T DO IT. This is by far the worst Apple Watch ever made by Apple.
 I don’t understand why the Apple blogosphere makes such a big deal about whether the iPhone charges through Lightning or USB-C. I think most regular people have migrated from using lightning to using wireless charge pads. I know I’ve bypassed USB-C and prefer MagSafe charging and actually find my iPad’s use of USB-C to be annoying.
 Elon Musk recently made the crazy statement that it’s likely “X could become 50% of the worlds financial system”. Long time Tesla watchers know better than to take this seriously since we’ve seen this same show played over and over. You have to keep in mind how Musk operates.
 The Apple AirPods are a product that has delighted me right from the beginning back in 2017. And it was never about the sound quality. Apple did what Apple has always done well. They thought about the little friction points that get in the way of enjoying their products even more and they tried to minimize them.
 watchOS 10 has been out as a beta release for about a month now and one thing about it ruins the entire experience for me. The loss of quickly swiping back and forth between your watch faces. Why would Apple do this?
 I’ve been quite surprised at how the tech media is covering Apple’s recently announced VisionPro. There seems to be an overwhelming focus on the fit, weight, and comfort of the device. Everyone’s griping about the hardware.
 Ever since Apple’s Vision Pro was announced there have been complaints about it that make absolutely no sense. In fact, many of the complaints sound like the same kind of thing you could say about headphones.
 I was seriously impressed by the unveiling of Apple’s new Vision Pro AR/VR headset. It looks to be a high quality and well thought out device. Basically the opposite of anything Tesla would ever make.
 Apple watchers love those 2 or 3 times per year when Apples unveils their new software or hardware products. But in my book, the WWDC keynote is the best of them all.
 I’ve long been against the rising trend towards subscription pricing. However, I’ve also always said that there is one area where they make sense. And Apple hit a home run in the case of their new iPad Pro apps.
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Robert PerezManufacturing and distribution analysis since 1993. 
Perezonomics is available in Apple News
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