The best meal for $6 you can ask for.

In this economy, getting a meal for $6 sounds like a pipe dream, but it is possible with these healthy frozen dinners from Saffron Road. If you’re in a time crunch you really can’t beat the value.

Not a sponsor by the way, just real experience.

Active Noise Cancellation with AirPods Pro - how many decibels are reduced?

Apple does not provide actual decibel numbers on their website since every situation is unique, but your Apple Watch will give you a live decibel reading factoring in your AirPods. It works for the following listening modes:

1. Off

2. Transparency

3. Adaptive

4. Noise Cancellation

Simply put on your AirPods Pro and open the Noise app on Apple Watch to see the current decibel reading. You can toggle the AirPods icon ON or OFF to see the difference in decibel reduction.

Note: Toggling the AirPods icon ON or OFF in the Noise app does not turn ON or OFF noise cancellation or change listening modes.

I tested this on AirPods Pro and AirPods Pro 2, but this should work with any set of AirPods that have noise cancellation.

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Tested on watchOS 26.5 Beta 4 and iOS 26.5 Beta 3.

iPhone Air 7 months later - why you should buy one.

You leave your house and you realize you forgot something - your phone. You can tell it’s missing due to the comfort you feel in your trousers. There’s no feeling of a brick a few inches away from your crotch, so surely you forgot your phone.

Except you didn’t. When you turn around to go back inside to grab your phone, you realize with a silly grin on your face, “Oh wait, I didn’t forget my phone. It’s just so damn thin that I didn’t realize it is in my pocket.”

This is the joy of owning an iPhone Air. It’s like waking up on a Saturday morning thinking you have to go to work, but then remembering it’s Saturday, your day off. The tranquility and joy you feel overcomes you as you plop back down in bed and snooze for another few hours. As a famous thinker once said:

Joy is more joyous when it’s preceded by anxiety.¹

Owning the iPhone Air has been a privilege, and it provides a great experience every single time I hold the device. I believe it is a worthy device, and one with potential to gain more traction in the Fall of 2026.

Design and culture

The iPhone Air might not be the best value for the buck, but when it comes to design, feel, and premium looks, it’s $999 starting price tag is justified. The iPhone Air is once again more than just a technological marvel. It is a call back to Apple of yore - when they had a cult status that was not for the masses. Quirky, limited, but immense joy and satisfaction. Ironically, the more expensive iPhone Pro lineup has become more ubiquitous, but those that still crave a beautiful experience, great performance, and exclusivity can still get that feeling with iPhone Air. Apple took a risk with this device, and I think it provides more value and inspires more confidence in the company that is willing to not play it safe.

The front of all phones look the same, but the back of this phone really does take your breath away. It isn’t really the back as much as it is the polished shiny sides and buttons that contrast with the muted, matte back glass. The camera plateau is also simplified, giving it an elegance and simplicity that makes it the best looking iPhone in years, with the iPhone 17e being a close second. The 17e takes minimalism to another level with no plateau and a single camera lens being the only thing stopping the 17e from being a flush device.

Speakers…um speaker

The speaker on iPhone Air gives you quite a bang considering its thin profile, and to be honest is more than adequate. Let’s be realistic - the target audience for the iPhone Air is more than likely to have some sort of wireless headphones, but even if they forget their wireless headphones, the single speaker works just fine in most scenarios. The only time where it was not adequate for me was in loud environments, and that’s par for the course for any smartphone.

The speaker is also in the top earpiece, meaning it is a front facing speaker. There is no way to accidentally cup your hand and block the sound like it would be on the bottom speaker of every other iPhone.

Cameras…um camera

The single rear camera performs great in most scenarios for what it is, and actually has a closer focusing distance than the iPhone 17 Pro’s main camera. Of course the 17 and 17 Pro have an ultra wide lens, which will be superior for close up shots. I do miss macro shots, but I don’t miss the distortion you get from the ultra wide. I do miss the telephoto lens as well, but it is a compromise I was willing to make. You’re buying the two-door convertible, not the 8-passenger SUV. A side benefit - you don’t have to deal with the phone auto-switching between the ultra wide and wide camera lenses when getting close to a subject.

Apple did excel with the 18MP Center Stage front facing camera, and I believe this camera will be used more than the rear camera. The front facing camera is the ultimate selfie camera, and leads to great group shots with friends and family. As a parent, no longer do you have to be the designated photographer. You can be part of the shot and frame it just right. These group photos end up being more memorable than landscape photos devoid of human joy and affection.

Battery life

It shouldn’t be a surprise that a thinner phone will have worse battery life. What is surprising though, is iPhone Air has the same battery life as iPhone 16 Pro. If you were fine with the battery life of the smaller iPhones in the past few years, you’ll be fine with iPhone Air, and will have a bigger display for it. This is even less of an issue if you have what I call great phone hygiene, planning ahead and charge your device on time.

Fast charging is a huge plus and a necessity on a device like this, and thankfully we get that:

Up to 50% charge in 30 minutes with 20W adapter or higher (available separately) paired with USB-C charging cable, or 30W adapter or higher paired with MagSafe Charger (both available separately).

The other thing we should all be thinking about when it comes to battery life is the idea of using your phone less. Every single one of us uses their phone more than ever before, and that increased usage will naturally lead to worse battery life. Battery life may be an issue for road warriors, but once again if that’s you, you have solutions and battery banks in hand to be prepared.

What I’m trying to say is, do we really need more battery life, or is the real problem our overconsumption?

Durability

My iPhone Air has been case-less since day 1, and I have dropped my phone a handful of times. Most of these drops are from 3 feet or less, but I never had to worry about any dents because it is made out of titanium, not aluminum. Ceramic Shield 2 is also great and the screen is still flawless after 7 months. I would be nervous dropping a 17e, 17, or 17 Pro due to its softer body that is more prone to dents and scratches. Absolutely no issues here.

Performance

For most regular tasks, this phone handles them without any hiccups or issues. You will not notice any lag or slowdowns. It is as Pro as an iPhone can be. I don’t play intense games on my phones so I couldn’t tell you the experience, but if you are a mobile gamer, you would be better off with an iPhone 17 Pro that has much better cooling with its stainless steel vapor chamber. If you’re the average iPhone user, this phone won’t disappoint from a performance point of view. If you’re a content creator and you need every ounce of performance, you already know this isn’t for you.

Display

I would call the 6.5-inch display on iPhone Air the Goldilocks size - not too small, not too big, just right. Apple might have been forced into this size as well due to the camera plateau housing the brains of the device, and the space for the battery also had to be large enough to make sure they achieve “All Day Battery Life.” They couldn’t go smaller, and going bigger would take away from the thinness aspect, so the perfect size was the only size.

Should you buy one?

The great thing about iPhone Air is that there aren’t any unpleasant surprises. You know battery life will be a challenge, and you know extensive gaming will be a challenge, both from a thermal and battery life standpoint. You also know there is a single rear camera, with no deceptive black circles that give it the illusion of having additional cameras. Everything is spelled out front and center. When you go in with these expectations, you know the sacrifices you are making, and the value spectrum for this device leans more heavily towards the visceral experience.

It’s not about numbers and facts, but about touch and feel. Many decisions we make are illogical and are based on personal preference, and if your heart is speaking towards the iPhone Air, you won’t be disappointed. The 17 Pro is a Tim Cook iPhone - a safe choice, an efficient device, and meets all the numbers. After all, Tim Cook is a numbers guy, but I’m pretty damn sure Steve Jobs, a visionary, and John Ternus, a hardware engineer, would go iPhone Air.

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1 - OK, OK, I made that up myself.

Lung cancer risk is higher in people who eat…fruits and vegetables??

Gizmodo:

The new study, which surveyed 187 young patients diagnosed with lung cancer, has found an infuriating link between the incidence of lung cancer and these patients’ statistically higher consumption of healthy foods, including dark green vegetables and legumes. Medical oncologist Jorge Nieva at USC Keck, a coauthor on the new research, noted that past studies have also documented higher rates of lung cancer in agricultural workers exposed to pesticides—evidence that would support their theory of pesticides’ causal relationship to the disease.

“Our research shows that younger non-smokers who eat a higher quantity of healthy foods than the general population are more likely to develop lung cancer,” Nieva, a specialist in lung cancer, said in a statement.

“These counter-intuitive findings raise important questions about an unknown environmental risk factor for lung cancer related to otherwise beneficial food,” he noted, “that needs to be addressed.” […]

Most patients had reportedly never smoked, possibly not even once or twice at house parties.

But what most of these young cancer patients had done is eat a statistically higher daily amount of fruit, vegetables, and whole grains compared to the average member of the general public.

Here’s what Nieva’s team found when comparing this lung cancer cohort’s data to data on the eating habits recorded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey: Young lung cancer patients averaged about 4.3 servings of dark green vegetables and legumes per day, compared to the average American’s 3.6 servings. These patients also averaged 3.9 servings of whole grains daily, compared to the average American’s 2.6 servings.

One of the more blood-boiling things about these fruits and vegetables, according to Nieva, is that the non-organic varieties tend to also have higher pesticide residues than the food less health-conscious people are likely to enjoy, including dairy, meat, and many processed foods.

The part that pisses me off:

And it bears repeating that their survey-based research has only found a troubling overlap in these pesticide exposures and incidences of lung cancer, not concrete proof of a biochemical mechanism confirming these compounds are carcinogenic.

OK, so pesticides like the most infamous one (glyphosate) might cause cancer, but it’s not proven yet - there’s just a “troubling overlap” between pesticide exposures and cancer.

My family has been going organic with certain foods and we have discontinued the use of GMO cereal at our house, but everyone needs to go as organic as possible. In the back of my mind, that still won’t be enough to solve this issue.

A more recent therapeutic oil that I have been “dailying” these days is black seed oil. Great for many ailments including inflammation, blood sugar regulation, lowering bad and raising good cholesterol, and relevant to this story, great at neutralizing cancer-causing free radicals. One teaspoon a day is a good start, and probably enough for most people.

The other route? All food is bad for you and will kill you, so go all in and enjoy, and blame genetics at the end of the day. Honestly, this option is starting to feel more and more palatable.

Two instances of “Face ID” like I’ve never imagined.

I spoke about my daughter not too long ago, and this past week she finally had her first cleft lip repair surgery. She was born with a mid-line cleft lip that extended into her nose and with the first surgery, the most visual defect has been corrected. She still has more surgeries in the future, but we’re taking it one step at a time. This “before” image represents what she looked like prior to surgery, and she is working her way to the “after” photo as she gets older.

The biggest change from our perspective so far is her smile. Her top lip is much narrower leading to a thinner smile, but it’s beautiful in a different way.

Speaking of other unexpected face changes, we saw multiple nurses throughout the week she spent in the hospital, and a lot of them wore face masks. Your brain subconsciously tries to complete the face of the masked person that you’re seeing day in and day out, but then you get surprised when the mask comes off and the face is not what you expected. There were no defects in their faces, but your subjective brain’s reality distortion field was expecting a certain look based on their other facial features and speech.

It’s like those AI experiments people do where they cover half their face with a hand, and ask AI to remove the hand and generate the rest of the face. It’s close, but you can tell there’s something off. My brain’s result was similar to Google’s Magic Eraser and not Apple’s Clean Up, which I consider a huge win for the human mind.

From a digital authenticity and reality point of view, Apple’s Clean Up is better because it is so bad you know the edited photo is not real and the line between reality and falsehood is obvious.

I saw a Series 3 Apple Watch in the wild before I saw an iPhone Air in the wild.

An older nurse was wearing it while we were in the hospital, and I’m assuming it was a Series 3. It could have been a Series 2 or older, but either way it’s pretty cool to see an almost 10 year old Apple Watch being used in 2026.

It was the 38mm variant and of course she had the best Apple Watch face - Utility.

The straight-line text on her complications was a dead giveaway that it was the first-generation body. The straight-text complications look great on the more squared off body, but it was a necessity since the screen was much smaller than what the dimensions of the watch would assume.

Series 3 42mm versus Series 10 42mm.

42mm was the large size when the Series 3 was released, and now 42mm is the smaller Apple watch size.

The screen to body ratio has changed dramatically from the 1st generation design to the 4th generation design.

Buying a Milanese Loop for your aluminum Apple Watch? Think twice.

Milanese Loops are great, until they aren’t.

If you own an aluminum Apple Watch, the Milanese Loop can work with it, sometimes really well like in this Space Gray example, but you have to know its limitations.

The Milanese Loop is made out of stainless steel or Titanium, and both materials scratch glass. Technically the Titanium Milanese Loop shouldn’t scratch glass since it has a lower hardness than glass, but it could scratch the glass indirectly if there’s grit stuck in between the crevices and the silica rubs against the glass. I had a horrible experience in the past where my stainless steel Milanese Loop created scratches in a hashtag-like pattern on my aluminum Apple Watch display back in 2015.

I put my watch in my pocket when using an airplane bathroom and didn’t want to wash my hands while wearing the watch. This was when Apple Watches were not officially water resistant, so I didn’t want to take any chances. Funny thing is I would have been better off wearing the watch while washing my hands to avoid what was to come…

I came out of the bathroom and held my daughter on my lap, and she was naturally bouncing around on my lap like any 3-year old would. The watch was still in my pocket (I forgot all about it), directly underneath her bottom, and it was getting pummeled unbeknownst to me as she was squirming around. In the end the Milanese Loop left the hashtag pattern of scratches on the display which is why I avoid aluminum Apple Watches altogether. I made an exception for Jet Black last year, but I knew not to wear a Milanese Loop with it, nor put it in my pocket.

If you do choose to get a Milanese Loop for an aluminum Apple Watch, be extra careful and don’t allow the band to sit on the glass. This is not a problem if you get a Stainless Steel or Titanium Apple Watch since the display is made of sapphire.

iPhone Ultra could be the beginning of MagSafe Ultra?

The iPhone Ultra (or whatever Apple calls it), is going to be a device like no other. It will break many molds of what a traditional iPhone should be, and most important of all, it will break the MagSafe mold that has been a staple for iPhones since 2020.

A phone with the name “Ultra” in it should have Qi2 or MagSafe wireless charging built-in, and an iPhone with the name “Ultra,” accompanied with a hefty price tag, should definitely have MagSafe built-in. When I look at the dummy models for the iPhone Ultra, it definitely begs the question:

Does this device support MagSafe???

Photos released by Sonny Dickson on X show the 18 Pro and Pro Max with MagSafe circles, but the circle is missing on the Ultra. It would be an absolute deal breaker for many (including myself) if Apple skips MagSafe, but I’m hoping with iPhone Ultra, Apple is getting ready for the next generation of MagSafe on iPhone:

MagSafe Ultra.

Maybe we will get the following (all speculation of course):

1. Instead of a single line of vertical stabilizer magnets currently in iPhones (pg 194), we get corner magnets to make MagSafe even more stable - I’m talking rock solid stable since iPhone Ultra, in its fully open position, will start swiveling on a circular charger due to weight asymmetry. Think of a square shaped mount with rounded corners that matches the iPhone Ultra’s back with 4 corner magnets, and the circular MagSafe ring in the middle. That’s the only way to keep the phone from rotating when fully opened. In the closed position, iPhone Ultra will be backwards compatible with standard circular MagSafe chargers, and this new square with rounded corners should still work with older iPhones.

2. For accessories, expect most older rectangular accessories to work, but they will jut out and look out of place on iPhone Ultra. I’m talking wallets, battery banks, and weird stands.

3. Since Apple is going all out in trying new things, how about we get custom MagSafe Ultra Battery Packs that fit flush with iPhone Ultra? If they could make a one-off battery for iPhone Air, surely the Ultra also deserves one?

Prominent Islamic scholar talks about his conversion.

Funny story that you have to read till the end to get the humor.

Summer’s (almost) here, which means two tragedies and one adjustment…

The tragedies are real:

1. No more secret stash of chocolate in my car - it would melt before I could say, “milk chocolate with almonds is the best.” You could also file this “tragedy” under the, “blessing in disguise” category.

2. I have to iron my shirts again - jackets keep wrinkly shirts hidden in the winter, and lab coats at work keep wrinkles hidden all year long, but stepping out and touching some grass would require me to iron my shirts again.

One tech adjustment I’ve noticed so far:

1. I need to add one more link to my link bracelet to get a comfortable fit due to heat-induced wrist expansion. Do note - Apple only sells extra links for the larger 46mm link bracelet, so don’t lose your links if you use the smaller 42mm bracelet.

Vintage 3.5” floppy disk wallet is for the nostalgic in you.

There’s a 2-month wait, but it’s perfect for the sling carrier, purse wearer, fanny packer, or backpack trekking individual.

Too impractical for the pants pocket, unlike the Untitled Folder Wallet.

It would be the perfect way to carry your SD cards or a tiny storage drive since it fits the theme perfectly. Buy it here in either black, beige, or orange (not an affiliate link).

My first Apple product that I used - Apple IIe.

At the time (5th-6th grade), these weren’t too exciting since game consoles were superior gaming devices. We never owned one, but we had them in our school’s computer class and in that environment, they were exciting because anything is more exciting than textbooks.

Our class was a particular challenging group of youth, and we did not treat the equipment with tender care and love. I distinctly remember floppy disks being thrown around like frisbees. It was still a step up from just a few years prior. In 2nd grade (same school), we had a computer class that had a single computer, and we would learn the anatomy of a computer - the keyboard itself was a challenge since we had to learn “complex” controls such as TAB, ENTER, CAPS LOCK, and SHIFT. Only in the last part of class did each student get a turn to play Pac-Man. You literally got one chance, so if you died in 5 seconds, then you only got 5 seconds to use the computer. Imagine giving a new piece of technology to someone for only 5 seconds. What a tease!

For a more visual experience, this picture was the closest thing I found that mimics my 5th grade classroom environment.

Trying to read “Apple: The First 50 Years,” in bed.

David Pogue’s historical book is quite the monstrosity from both a content and size perspective, and from a physical point of view it is a proper textbook. I thought the only way to read this beast was on my desk, but I am able to read it comfortably (enough) while lying in bed. All of the book’s weight is on a pillow on my chest, making it easy on my arms while elevating the book for a good reading angle.

Apple Books and Kindle are cheaper options for digital readers, but I know I would get distracted and start doom scrolling. With a physical book, I am focused in on one task, and within 20-25 minutes (regardless of which book I’m reading), it is lights out for me.

When one MagSafe car mount is not enough.

I have a dual MagSafe setup in my car, but for my wife’s car, the one that gets significant highway miles and travels to the pothole capital of the world (New York City), we needed something more than just a simple MagSafe setup:

We needed 3 different MagSafe mounts. Technically we could get by with 2, but the 3rd one on top was necessary for entertainment purposes so the kids in the 3rd row could still watch YouTube. It’s the opposite of being addicted to YouTube, but also not quite torture since you can still make out the contents if you squint hard enough. You have to get the dopamine dose just right.

The triple threat.

The one on top is my new favorite accessory by LISEN that so far has been promising. It has a motor that makes the suction really tight, and will self-activate if it notices the suction getting weaker, giving you peace of mind. We didn’t have any falls or loss of suction over an 8 hour driving period. It also allows for a landscape orientation whereas the bottom two are too tight together to allow for landscape.

On the bottom right we have a standard Apple MagSafe puck hooked into a CD slot holder, primarily used for charging of course. The bottom left is a Moment MagSafe Wall Mount that I permanently attached to the archaic infotainment display. Blocking the display wasn’t an issue since we always keep it on the bluetooth player setting. The Moment mount is my go to for navigation and when driving on bumpier roads since it has really strong magnets. Plenty an iPhone hath fallen when placed on the MagSafe charger, and I just don’t need that in my life anymore. The magnets on the LISEN are similar to the Moment mount and can withstand even the worst potholes. All three mounts have a purpose, and strategic placement throughout long journeys between charging and bad road conditions means I don’t have to think about my phone falling and can concentrate on driving.

All audio is routed via Bluetooth, making this hot mess actually very seamless and manageable.

Does the MacBook Neo collect a lot of fingerprints like the Midnight Blue MacBook Air?

I haven’t wiped the exterior surface of my MacBook Neo since I got it 9 days ago, and here is a comparison vs an M2 MacBook Air in Midnight Blue, known to be a fingerprint magnet. The Neo will get fingerprints, but it won’t turn into a grime fest that is Midnight Blue.

I felt like taking a shower after touching this M2 Air.

If I was a case kind of guy, I would get these Spigen Macintosh throwback cases.

Andrew Clare on X has some great photos showing an iPhone 17 Pro case, MagSafe wallet, and AirPods Pro 3 case that scream nostalgia, reminding me of those days in computer class where we would play Where in the World is Carmen San Diego on some Apple IIe computers.

Once again the love for the iPhone Air is so grand, so magnificent, that Spigen also didn’t see the need to release this retro case for the most durable and most loved device by Apple.

It’s unheard of.

The most bipolar Mac setup that you shouldn’t have.

A buddy of mine got the Studio Display XDR and I thought - why not pair it with one of Apple’s new computers released last week.

Which computer you may ask?

Well the MacBook Neo of course.

No one, I mean no one, should have this setup. For the love of God, your monitor should not have more RAM and a stronger processor than your computer.

MacBook Neo in Indigo - what does it look like in different lighting scenarios?

If my memory serves me correctly, the Midnight Blue MacBook Air was darker than this Indigo color, making the Neo a bit more pleasing to the eye. Anyway here are the photos:

In low, warm light.

Morning productivity.

It is a fingerprint magnet.

Near a window, with overcast skies.

Logo is matte finished instead of the usual glossy finish.

Outdoors in overcast skies. Wasn’t planning on snow today…

Dorm room, warm, low light simulation. Almost looks like the iPhone 14 Pro in Deep Purple.

I like the color matched keyboard, and I think the Indigo has the most colored keyboard out of the bunch. You really notice the lack of a backlight. Speaking of…

In complete darkness, you get some light on the keyboard from the screen, but not enough to compensate for no backlight.

Dave2D finally answers my most important question about MacBook Neo.

When the MacBook Neo was announced, I wanted to know if Apple cut a corner on the hinge, since the price point was so low:

The only unanswered question on my mind - can you open the lid with one finger?

That is a signature Apple feature, and it doesn’t surprise me that Apple kept it. The one-finger lift is a sign of premium build quality, and any laptop without it automatically is a deal breaker for me personally. Even when I was a Chromebook user, I only bought the best.

Professional laptop reviewer Dave2D not only confirmed it, but he gave it some screentime, emphasizing the importance of what many would consider an insignificant feature.

The “miracle” weight loss drug only works if you can withstand taking it for life.

Fast Company:

The impact of GLP-1 medications on weight loss is undeniable, but emerging research suggests the results may only be temporary. A growing body of evidence shows that when patients stop taking GLP-1 drugs, much of the weight they lost returns—and so do the medical complications that may have prompted treatment in the first place. 

“The only way that they work is if you keep taking them,” Scott Isaacs, an endocrinologist at the Grady Health System in Atlanta, told Market Watch. “And when people stop taking them, they have a lot of weight regain, and the medical problems that went away tend to come back.”

New research from the University of Oxford found that weight is projected to return to pretreatment levels within about 1.7 years after stopping medications. Improvements in cardio-metabolic markers—including blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes-related indicators—also trend back toward baseline within about 1.4 years after cessation.

It’s not a surprise that any medication for weight loss needs to be taken indefinitely, especially since personal responsibility takes a backseat. From personal experience, I take a cholesterol pill everyday, knowing full well that this might be a lifelong pill, and yes, it makes one eat a little less responsibly at times knowing that the pill will take care of my bad decision to eat a greasy burger with fries and soda, followed by some ice cream.

At least I know what to watch out for in terms of side effects, but anyone taking a medication for lifestyle improvements needs to realize wholeheartedly what they’re getting themselves into. Don’t just follow the fad and look at the positives, but look at the negatives as well.