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Wesley Hilliard

@hilli.tech
2.4K followers 922 following 2.7K posts

Writer and podcaster at @appleinsider.com. HilliTech blog. 10 year US Navy veteran. He/Him

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Reposted by Wesley Hilliard
Comfort Zone Podcast @comfortzonepodcast.bsky.social · 2h
we are SOOOOO BACK Comfort Zone, Episode 116 is out now everywhere you get your podcasts + on YouTube! ▶️ youtu.be/JQ3Ct0N8nq8
Thumbnail for Comfort Zone, Episode 116 entitled "We Just Rebooted the Show and I Already Quit"
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Wesley Hilliard @hilli.tech · 3h
The expectation that everyone be trust a handful of algorithms is how we end up with a society that has zero taste and a mediocre country song breaking all the records. It's so bad that Rolling Stone assumes everyone must have heard of the song, and those that claim otherwise are just performing.
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Wesley Hilliard @hilli.tech · 3h
I'm excited for all 3 updates. Apple TV is much needed, and adding two more HomePods to a home theater system will be really interesting.
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Reposted by Wesley Hilliard
Alaska Public Media @alaskapublic.org · 17h
Meet Backpack, your 2026 Fat Bear Week champion. Backpack is 20 years old, weighs about 1,000 pounds and got his nickname because, as a cub, he loved riding on his mom's back across the Brooks River.
akpub.io
Meet Backpack, Fat Bear Week’s chunky champ
Backpack went from hitching a ride on his mom’s back to cross the Brooks River to winning the hearts of fat bear fans around the world.
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Wesley Hilliard @hilli.tech · 3h
Enjoyed the iPhone 18 Pro Max, but I can say with confidence there is very little you'll miss when switching to iPhone Duo.
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Reposted by Wesley Hilliard
Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 18h
“Well, you see, I have to stay on the White Supremacist Child Porn Rape Victim Doxxing site because that’s where my community is”
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Wesley Hilliard @hilli.tech · 16h
4,000 words and plenty of photos coming tomorrow for my iPhone 18 Pro Max camera testing. Can't wait for everyone to read it!
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Reposted by Wesley Hilliard
Matt Birchler @birchtree.me · 18h
App review needs a reboot
birchtree.me
App review needs a reboot
Lex Friedman: The App Store review process needs fixing Every single app and app update released in the App Store goes through this review process, and the review process is largely a black box. Developers submit, and then wait. They are given no specific timeline or indication of how long
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Reposted by Wesley Hilliard
ceej @ceej.online · 21h
Mr. President.... China, they.... it's bad. They just announced Ultra Intelligence
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Wesley Hilliard @hilli.tech · 19h
Apple is now the leader in artificial intelligence because all of the other sycophantic dipshits rebranded to "super intelligence" after orange-flavored dementia told them to.
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Reposted by Wesley Hilliard
evacide @evacide.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Meta Muse appears to read your Apple messages and upload them to the cloud even if you explicitly tell it not to: appleinsider.com/articles/26/...
appleinsider.com
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Wesley Hilliard @hilli.tech · 29/09/2026
The difference between Apple and Meta's government relations: Apple: changes nothing, repeats years-old promises, gives token trophies Meta: allows hate speech, ditches human moderation, calls it "super intelligence" the second they are told to They are not the same.
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Wesley Hilliard @hilli.tech · 29/09/2026
If you want an artist that exists in the 2020s and sounds like something from classic country, go check out Margo Price: music.apple.com/us/album/hard...
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Wesley Hilliard @hilli.tech · 29/09/2026
wtf is "Choosin Texas" These kinds of folk are always wild to me. I don't let algorithms rule how I listen to music, so no, the trends and media coverage never really affected whether or not I heard a song. Filing this under "Spotify ruined music" because it feels related.
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Reposted by Wesley Hilliard
AppleInsider @appleinsider.com · 27/09/2026
Pundits continue to hold up clear signs of restraint as failures while asking Apple to behave like Meta, OpenAI, Google, or anyone else but themselves, especially when discussing Apple Vision Pro.
appleinsider.com
Apple Vision Pro's development graveyard exemplifies Apple's '1,000 no's to every yes'
Pundits continue to hold up clear signs of restraint as failures while asking Apple to behave like Meta, OpenAI, Google, or anyone else but themselves, especially when discussing Apple Vision Pro.
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Wesley Hilliard @hilli.tech · 27/09/2026
Expanding thoughts on weird Apple reporting in my newsletter. Shorter one today, I'm due at a pumpkin patch. www.hilli.tech/hillitechs-new...
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Wesley Hilliard @hilli.tech · 27/09/2026
Expanding thoughts on weird Apple reporting in my newsletter. Shorter one today, I'm due at a pumpkin patch. www.hilli.tech/hillitechs-new...
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Wesley Hilliard @hilli.tech · 25/09/2026
This feature was announced by Google before, and was done by humans then in testing too. You don't want it, I don't want it, but Meta is pushing it again. Why do they think we need these kinds of features?
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Reposted by Wesley Hilliard
AppleInsider @appleinsider.com · 25/09/2026
Apple's former head of Apple retail, Ron Johnson, has a book "Shop Different" and joins William on the latest AppleInsider Podcast for a guest interview. #Apple
appleinsider.com
Ron Johnson & buying iPhones in Apple Stores on the AppleInsider Podcast
Apple's former head of Apple retail, Ron Johnson, has a book "Shop Different" and joins William on the latest AppleInsider Podcast for a guest interview. Also, your hosts discuss new Macs, perceived Apple failures, and more.
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Wesley Hilliard @hilli.tech · 25/09/2026
Hey, look, my Apple Watch Ultra 4 review. If you'd like to see more about how I'm using the new Apple Health, check out my previous newsletter. I'll have more to say about it soon on AppleInsider. www.hilli.tech/hillitechs-new...
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Reposted by Wesley Hilliard
Rollin Bishop @rollinbishop.com · 24/09/2026
i am going to regret what this is going to do to my inbox but it's The Busy Time so: if you're a freelancer that covers games and don't ALREADY hear from GR+ editors on the regular, hit me up: rollin dot bishop at futurenet dot com
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Wesley Hilliard @hilli.tech · 24/09/2026
Everything you need to know about Meta Connect: don't use Meta products
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Reposted by Wesley Hilliard
Tran Girlismo: The Real Podcast Simulator @trangirlismo.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
TRAN GIRLISMO EPISODE 30: THE OIL CRISIS SPECIAL is now Live on Your Podcasting Platforms www.patreon.com/vantimevicto...
patreon.com
Episode 30: The Oil Crisis Special | Tran Girlismo (& Victoria Scott)
In this episode of Tran Girlismo, the girls correct the trajectory of the past "we're so back" episodes with one that affirms, no, really, "
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Reposted by Wesley Hilliard
AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 23/09/2026
Artificial intelligence systems do not think, feel, want or understand. Avoid language that gives them human characteristics.
apnews.com
https://apnews.com/article/openai-safety-ai-framework-089e75b95bc935af092da7b79d92706d
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Reposted by Wesley Hilliard
Aftermath @aftermath.site · 22/09/2026
Goodbye, Lara isn't "losing chess to a dog" levels of queerbaiting, but it is just as disappointing: aftermath.site/goodbye-lara-y...
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Reposted by Wesley Hilliard
AppleInsider @appleinsider.com · 24/09/2026
Meta VR Glasses are a new spatial computing device that weighs a sixth of the Apple Vision Pro with a third of the cost, half of the specs, and none of the immersion.
appleinsider.com
Apple's spatial computing strategy was on full display at Meta Connect
Meta VR Glasses are a new spatial computing device that weighs a sixth of the Apple Vision Pro with a third of the cost, half of the specs, and none of the immersion.
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Wesley Hilliard @hilli.tech · 24/09/2026
I have a feeling the discourse around these silly Meta "VR" "Glasses" will be especially unhinged.
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Wesley Hilliard @hilli.tech · 24/09/2026
Apple came in with Apple Vision Pro, defined where the market was going, then took a step back. As all of the competitors scramble to chase the future Apple laid out, Apple is waiting for the technology to get good enough to truly iterate. Let Meta and others make the mistakes for them.
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Wesley Hilliard @hilli.tech · 24/09/2026
Apple Vision Pro is the easy headline, but Meta's VR "glasses" are more akin to XReal's offering than anything. They're a display connected to an external compute. It'll be interesting to see Apple tackle this form factor in 2028 or so.
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Wesley Hilliard @hilli.tech · 24/09/2026
Those aren't glasses. It's not holograms. It's not "immersive" without a light seal. Stop carrying water and using nonsense terms thrown around by PR as if they are real. Even funnier, Meta really went hard on using Apple design language here, huh? Hardware and software. Yeesh.
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Reposted by Wesley Hilliard
Merlin Mann @hotdogsladies.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Do By Friday #467: "Super Measles" Alex is back! Fun episode. dobyfriday.com/episodes/467
dobyfriday.com
Super Measles | Do By Friday
This week's challenge: watch the first episode of Taskmaster, Series 22. (Recorded Wednesday, September 23rd, 2026)
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Reposted by Wesley Hilliard
Stephen Robles @stephenrobles.com · 23/09/2026
🚨 Surprise bonus Primary Tech Show! After trying Siri AI with third-party apps, I wanted to learn what's really happening. Ryan, creator of Foodnoms, explains the limitations and what the ideal integration could look like Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/w... Overcast: overcast.fm/+BTMNJ5JsyI
podcasts.apple.com
What’s Really Happening with Siri AI and Apps
Podcast Episode · Primary Technology · September 23 · Bonus · 20m · Video
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Wesley Hilliard @hilli.tech · 23/09/2026
Is this happening in Apple Music? I'd love to know if anyone has spotted this or has examples to share. A quick search isn't pulling up reporting on Apple Music, just Spotify and others. A cursory mention was made by a fraud detection company, but no examples or hard data were provided.
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Reposted by Wesley Hilliard
InnerSpiral @innerspiral.lol · 14/08/2026
My voice is the one thing about me that I'm genuinely afraid of, and always have. The friendslop genre is anchored by the voice. It's why I've never been able to get into them... and why I've always wanted to. #blog #BoRT
innerspiral.lol
Screaming without a Voice
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Wesley Hilliard @hilli.tech · 21/09/2026
"Apple can't compete in AI. The new one is at least functional, but the other AI competitors are miles ahead." I continue to ask: how? What do you use AI for every day that isn't fulfilled in some way by Siri AI? (I'm aware of vibe coding, thanks) What does AI do that you weren't doing before?
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Wesley Hilliard @hilli.tech · 21/09/2026
There are some really weird tech reporters so caught up in their own narratives that they can't see the reality in front of them: "Apple doesn't have an AI product," except it has iPhone and Apple Watch "Apple Vision Pro had no cultural impact" except every spatial device copied it Just silly.
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Wesley Hilliard @hilli.tech · 21/09/2026
Here's the thing: Apple Health has some random outlying metrics that are seemingly ignored by all but the most niche apps. I'm on a quest to fill every metric applicable to me that is of some interest. Currently, I'm poking through the short list of UV Index logging apps. If you know of one, lmk.
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Wesley Hilliard @hilli.tech · 21/09/2026
@stephenrobles.com
media4.giphy.com
Earth, Wind, and Fire "Do you remember, the 21st of September" shown as a gif where a singer dances with a microphone.
Earth, Wind, and Fire "Do you remember, the 21st of September" shown as a gif where a singer dances with a microphone.
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Reposted by Wesley Hilliard
Wesley Hilliard @hilli.tech · 20/09/2026
This week's newsletter is all about the redesigned Apple Health with AI. It has me thinking about my own health choices and databases leading to motivation. Read it here or sign up for weekly newsletters in your inbox:
hilli.tech
HilliTech's Newsletter: Apple Health, now with AI
Apple's new approach to the Health app may be just what the database tool needs, even if it has a sprinkle of AI on top. Unlike the AI grifters asking to suck up your health data and spit out nonsense, Apple's approach seems to actually work. Apple Health
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Wesley Hilliard @hilli.tech · 20/09/2026
This week's newsletter is all about the redesigned Apple Health with AI. It has me thinking about my own health choices and databases leading to motivation. Read it here or sign up for weekly newsletters in your inbox:
hilli.tech
HilliTech's Newsletter: Apple Health, now with AI
Apple's new approach to the Health app may be just what the database tool needs, even if it has a sprinkle of AI on top. Unlike the AI grifters asking to suck up your health data and spit out nonsense, Apple's approach seems to actually work. Apple Health
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Wesley Hilliard @hilli.tech · 20/09/2026
Of course, Apple having the most popular intelligent personal hub in iPhone and potentially releasing Home Hub in 2026 is Ternus "playing his only hand" while ... *checks notes* ... OpenAI waiting in the wings with a wiggling speaker is a potential "revolutionary new mobile product?" Sure Jan
mastodon.social
AppleInsider (@appleinsider@mastodon.social)
Apple's smart home device will be the AI center of the household, with it potentially becoming the poster child for Apple's new "intelligent personal hub" strategy. https://appleinsider.com/articles/26/09/20/apple-home-hub-will-be-the-intelligent-center-of-your-home?utm_medium=social&utm_source=mastodon
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Wesley Hilliard @hilli.tech · 20/09/2026
It's a day that ends in "y" so of course normal churn and feature prioritization somehow equate to "signs of big changes coming" to a service that otherwise pays for itself, if not actually highly profitable, and wasn't changed in spite of a major Health redesign during the September event.
mastodon.social
AppleInsider (@appleinsider@mastodon.social)
A new report claims that Apple is cutting jobs at Apple Fitness+, but without supporting evidence, concludes that this means enormous changes are coming. https://appleinsider.com/articles/26/09/20/claimed-apple-fitness-layoffs-are-no-sign-of-problems-with-the-service?utm_medium=social&utm_source=mastodon
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Wesley Hilliard @hilli.tech · 19/09/2026
Apple News+ ad on MLB Friday Night Baseball is kind of wild, ngl.
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Reposted by Wesley Hilliard
Nicolas Hénin @nicolashenin.net · 17/09/2026
Nice campaign by the Norwegian Consumer Council about the declining lifespan of products. Enjoy!
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Wesley Hilliard @hilli.tech · 17/09/2026
@foodnoms.com idea: what if I could give Foodnoms access to a meal planning calendar. Not to automatically log the meal, but at least have it populate the suggested logs. Just add it as an option below "copy previous meal" as "log from meal plan" Would be a cool way to tie into apps like Pestle.
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Reposted by Wesley Hilliard
Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
New — I wrote about this weird thing where people within the Republican party keep being exposed as Nazis and the party then tries to claim each one is an aberration. The facts, as I lay out here, indicate otherwise:
thehandbasket.co
Republicans don’t have a Nazi problem—they are the Nazi problem
A spate of recent revelations have shown the ideologies and their adherents are one and the same.
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Wesley Hilliard @hilli.tech · 17/09/2026
None of this had to happen. Supply chain capacities being taken up by orders for data centers that don't exist to run features that don't exist paid for with money that doesn't exist. And for some fucking reason investors will happily shovel $1T into a fire for OpenAI, again. Make it make sense.
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Wesley Hilliard @hilli.tech · 16/09/2026
Apple delivered a foldable with very few compromises, much fewer than I was expecting. Then, on top of that, it delivered a unique feature set and OS experience that propels it ahead of anything else on the market. This is going to be one hell of an interesting device.
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Wesley Hilliard @hilli.tech · 16/09/2026
My favorite kind of social media tech related post is a person doing something a thing can't do, then pointing out how it didn't do that.
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Wesley Hilliard @hilli.tech · 15/09/2026
Not for me, but if you want Siri AI and Apple Intelligence to be "turned off" in iOS 27, you can do this in Screen Time. Settings -> Screen Time -> Content & Privacy Restrictions -> Siri -> "Allowed Siri Version" -> Siri Classic Other AI features can be turned off here as well, like Writing Tools.
f.duriansoftware.com
Joe Groff (@joe@f.duriansoftware.com)
Attached: 1 image for the time being, it looks like the old trick of "set your Siri language different from your UI language" still keeps the LLMs at bay in iOS 27
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