About the thing that everybody is talking about this week

I’m not talking about the orange buffoon’s latest antics. I’m not talking about the sweltering heat that’s descending on Europe once more. I’m not even talking about the collective insanity that has pushed a racist, misogynist, authoritarian, conspiracist, transphobic, and climate-change denier’s virtual fortune over one trillion dollars. And i’m definitely not talking about the boys running around with a ball. I’m talking, of course, about Apple’s latest announcements. In my 20 years covering Apple, i don’t remember another instance where the most popular devices on sale couldn’t benefit from all the features of their latest operating system. The iPhone 17 and MacBook Neo don’t have enough RAM to use Apple’s most advanced on-device foundation models. It’s a bit maddening, but at the same time, i can’t help but feel hopeful. For the first time in years, the hardware actually is the limit, and if the current state of the market is any indication, it should remain so for a few years.…