626: No Longer ery Good

February 13, 2025

117 min episode · 2 min read

Episode

117 min

Read time

2 min

AI-Generated Summary

Published Dec 22, 2025

Key Takeaways

✓Apple ID Purchase Migration: Apple launches feature to transfer purchases between accounts with major limitations including no music library data on either account, loss of TestFlight enrollments, and inability to merge accounts used for VPP programs. Wait before using due to bugs and irreversible consequences.
✓Keyboard Reliability Issues: MacBook Air M2 butterfly-free keyboard experiencing failures on V key and Command key after heavy portable use. Repair options unclear for out-of-warranty devices. Demonstrates even modern scissor-switch keyboards can fail, contradicting assumption that butterfly keyboard era problems were resolved permanently.
✓Cellular Mac Justification: Tethering to iPhone requires frequent reboots of phone, laptop, or both to establish connection. Standalone hotspots add separate device to charge, carry, and manage with expensive limited data plans. Built-in cellular eliminates all friction, providing instant connectivity without additional hardware or troubleshooting steps.
✓UK Encryption Backdoor Demand: UK Investigatory Powers Act requires Apple provide global access to all encrypted iCloud backups worldwide, not just UK users, without notifying customers. Disabling Advanced Data Protection in UK insufficient to comply. Only viable response: complete Apple withdrawal from UK market or law modification through appeal process.
✓Robot Movement Design Research: Apple publishes research on emotive robot movement at machinelearning.apple.com, showing non-linear motion paths create more engaging human interaction than efficient point-to-point movement. Unusual public disclosure strongly suggests development of rumored home device with motorized screen, contradicting Apple's typical secrecy around unreleased products.

What It Covers

Apple enables purchase migration between Apple IDs after 25 years, UK demands global iCloud encryption backdoors, Marco's MacBook Air keyboard fails, cellular Mac desires persist, Apple publishes robot movement research hinting at rumored home device development.

Key Questions Answered

•Apple ID Purchase Migration: Apple launches feature to transfer purchases between accounts with major limitations including no music library data on either account, loss of TestFlight enrollments, and inability to merge accounts used for VPP programs. Wait before using due to bugs and irreversible consequences.
•Keyboard Reliability Issues: MacBook Air M2 butterfly-free keyboard experiencing failures on V key and Command key after heavy portable use. Repair options unclear for out-of-warranty devices. Demonstrates even modern scissor-switch keyboards can fail, contradicting assumption that butterfly keyboard era problems were resolved permanently.
•Cellular Mac Justification: Tethering to iPhone requires frequent reboots of phone, laptop, or both to establish connection. Standalone hotspots add separate device to charge, carry, and manage with expensive limited data plans. Built-in cellular eliminates all friction, providing instant connectivity without additional hardware or troubleshooting steps.
•UK Encryption Backdoor Demand: UK Investigatory Powers Act requires Apple provide global access to all encrypted iCloud backups worldwide, not just UK users, without notifying customers. Disabling Advanced Data Protection in UK insufficient to comply. Only viable response: complete Apple withdrawal from UK market or law modification through appeal process.
•Robot Movement Design Research: Apple publishes research on emotive robot movement at machinelearning.apple.com, showing non-linear motion paths create more engaging human interaction than efficient point-to-point movement. Unusual public disclosure strongly suggests development of rumored home device with motorized screen, contradicting Apple's typical secrecy around unreleased products.

Notable Moment

Apple's public research publication on robot movement design represents a dramatic departure from their typical secrecy, essentially confirming rumors of a home device with a motorized screen. The company never shows concept work or research before product launches, making this machine learning paper with demonstration video an unprecedented glimpse into active development.

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