672: Wi Hyphen Fi
Episode
119 min
Read time
2 min
Topics
Leadership, Design & UX, Marketing
AI-Generated Summary
Key Takeaways
- ✓AirPods Pro 3 Comfort Fix: Comply TrueGrip Max foam tips with smart skin technology resolve fit issues better than upsizing Apple's stock silicone tips. The foam provides softer compliance while maintaining secure placement, addressing the common problem where AirPods Pro 3 fit differently than Pro 2 models for many users.
- ✓Contacts Archive Workaround: Creating filtered contact lists in Apple Contacts provides partial archiving functionality but fails to prevent archived contacts from appearing in Siri commands, autocomplete fields, and system-wide search. True contact archiving requires Apple to implement system-level exclusion across all contact access points, not just list visibility.
- ✓Wi-Fi 7 Implementation Gap: Zero of 25 tested routers support simultaneous multi-link operation, the headline Wi-Fi 7 feature enabling concurrent use of 2.4, 5, and 6 GHz bands. Most implement alternating MLO with placeholder timing values, delivering minimal real-world benefit despite Wi-Fi 7 marketing claims of superior performance and latency reduction.
- ✓Wi-Fi Certification Confusion: Wi-Fi Alliance releases standards in waves, with release one devices lacking features marketed for that generation. Wi-Fi 7 release one hardware typically delivers Wi-Fi 6 release two capabilities, not the full IEEE 802.11be specification. Only three of 25 tested routers achieved Wi-Fi Certified 7 designation.
- ✓Audio App Background Complexity: iOS audio subsystems use decades-old Objective-C APIs with special exceptions for background execution and system integration. Apple frequently modifies audio behavior in point updates, creating unpredictable changes to AirPlay switching, control center integration, and now-playing selection that audio app developers cannot control or debug effectively.
What It Covers
Accidental Tech Podcast explores AirPods Pro comfort solutions with Comply foam tips, Apple Contacts management limitations, Wi-Fi seven's disappointing implementation gap between marketing promises and actual hardware capabilities, particularly the absence of simultaneous multi-link operation in consumer routers.
Key Questions Answered
- •AirPods Pro 3 Comfort Fix: Comply TrueGrip Max foam tips with smart skin technology resolve fit issues better than upsizing Apple's stock silicone tips. The foam provides softer compliance while maintaining secure placement, addressing the common problem where AirPods Pro 3 fit differently than Pro 2 models for many users.
- •Contacts Archive Workaround: Creating filtered contact lists in Apple Contacts provides partial archiving functionality but fails to prevent archived contacts from appearing in Siri commands, autocomplete fields, and system-wide search. True contact archiving requires Apple to implement system-level exclusion across all contact access points, not just list visibility.
- •Wi-Fi 7 Implementation Gap: Zero of 25 tested routers support simultaneous multi-link operation, the headline Wi-Fi 7 feature enabling concurrent use of 2.4, 5, and 6 GHz bands. Most implement alternating MLO with placeholder timing values, delivering minimal real-world benefit despite Wi-Fi 7 marketing claims of superior performance and latency reduction.
- •Wi-Fi Certification Confusion: Wi-Fi Alliance releases standards in waves, with release one devices lacking features marketed for that generation. Wi-Fi 7 release one hardware typically delivers Wi-Fi 6 release two capabilities, not the full IEEE 802.11be specification. Only three of 25 tested routers achieved Wi-Fi Certified 7 designation.
- •Audio App Background Complexity: iOS audio subsystems use decades-old Objective-C APIs with special exceptions for background execution and system integration. Apple frequently modifies audio behavior in point updates, creating unpredictable changes to AirPlay switching, control center integration, and now-playing selection that audio app developers cannot control or debug effectively.
Notable Moment
Testing revealed that achieving advertised Wi-Fi 7 speeds of 130-150 megabits per second for 4K UHD Blu-ray streaming requires only Wi-Fi 6 with good access point proximity, delivering 460 megabits sustained. Physical access point placement matters exponentially more than protocol generation for real-world performance.
Episode Transcript
So on the eve, right before the eve, where I go to the Phish concert, I decided to revisit my AirPods Pro threes, which I have really not been wearing much because even though I found that when I originally, my comfort level with them was awful compared to the the Pro twos. A lot of people have had similar issues. A lot of people, they fit great. They the moral story is they fit differently from the twos. And so you're kinda rolling the dice, and they might be better on you. They might be worse. They might be no different. And I had found that I mentioned on the show based on a listener's tip, that if you actually wear larger ear tips than you think you should, it makes them more comfortable. Well, as is always the case, if you mention, you know, web browsers in the early two thousands and some feature, you would inevitably hear from the two people who use Opera. And you and they'd be like, you know, Opera does this really well, or Opera's had this feature forever. Right. What is the Opera of, noise canceling earbuds? Yeah. Right? The Opera of noise canceling earbuds, and in particular, how they fit is people who use the Comply foam tips. I think they are way more popular than Opera. Probably. But whenever you mention however AirPods fit you, you will always hear from two or three people saying, I only use the comply tips. They're the best. You should just use those. They fix all of my problems. Well, this is the first time I've ever tried them. They're the best. They fixed all my problems. Oh, no. Are we also, are we just like, are we just like, history eraser buttoning the, the thing where you bought the AirPods three then returned them then bought them again? Are we just pretending that didn't happen now? Yes. We are. Yeah. Because Pepperidge Farm remembers. Well done. Reference acknowledged. Yeah. So I I got the comply tips. They they came out, I think a few weeks ago. You know, they came out fairly recently. I've been wearing them all day, and they are, I think, great. So compared to just wearing a larger set of tips from Apple, they seem to be a little bit softer. Compliant even. Yes. And they feel a little more secure. Like, the the the main downside of upsizing the tips from Apple is that it makes them sit less securely in my ears. It does make them more comfortable, but it makes them sit less securely. The comply tips seem to have fixed that problem as well. I'll report back if this changes over time. I should also, point out that they have, a couple of different variants. The one I have is the TrueGrip Max with smart skin technology, which sounds like a condom, but isn't. It's this really nice, you know, foam finish. It's a few …
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Books, tools, and gear mentioned in this episode
SignalCast may earn commission on purchases via these links. As an Amazon Associate, SignalCast earns from qualifying purchases.
Tools
by Apple
“Contacts Archive Workaround: Creating filtered contact lists in Apple Contacts provides partial archiving functionality but fails to prevent archived contacts from appearing in Siri commands.”
Gear
by Apple
“AirPods Pro 3 Comfort Fix: Comply TrueGrip Max foam tips with smart skin technology resolve fit issues better than upsizing Apple's stock silicone tips.”
Products
- Comply TrueGrip MaxRecommended
by Comply
“Comply TrueGrip Max foam tips with smart skin technology resolve fit issues better than upsizing Apple's stock silicone tips.”
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