618: The WWDC Keynote Draft 2026
Mike Hurley and Jason Snell unveil a bold new podcast venture, Designed in California, born from their acclaimed Apple at 50 episode. Backed by a lightning-fast Kickstarter campaign that surpassed its goal in minutes, the show will dive deep into Apple’s 50-year history with meticulously researched, scripted episodes—offering listeners a narrative-driven alternative to weekly tech news. The team is releasing four preview episodes weekly on Thursdays in the Upgrade feed, giving fans a taste of the storytelling they’ll get when the full series launches. Meanwhile, the duo enters their 11th WWDC draft, predicting a keynote dominated by Apple Intelligence, with Siri getting a chatbot interface, AI-powered shortcuts, and context-aware conversations. They also speculate on camera app UI customization, Mac AI agent support, and even the return of the beloved Finder mascot. The episode closes with a celebration of the Kickstarter’s momentum and a promise of deeper storytelling to come. The real story here isn’t just what Apple might announce—it’s what Mike and Jason are building together. Designed in California isn’t just a podcast; it’s a labor of love, a response to the fatigue of endless tech news cycles, and a commitment to quality storytelling. The fact that they’re pre-selling memberships through Kickstarter shows a rare level of confidence and audience trust.
Designed in California is a new scripted podcast series about Apple’s 50-year history, launching after a Kickstarter campaign that funded in under two hours.
The first 50 episodes will be released weekly over a year, with bonus content unlocked as stretch goals are hit.
All episodes will be available in the Upgrade feed, with members getting full seasons at once—no weekly waiting.
The WWDC 2026 keynote is expected to center on Apple Intelligence, with Siri getting a chatbot interface and context-aware conversations.
Key predictions include AI-powered shortcuts, camera app UI customization, and improved clipboard history on iPadOS.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
The Snow Talk Question & The Birth of Designed in California
“We're doing it. It's happening. Good news is there are lots of stretch goals. We have lots of plans but we didn't want to... set the bar so high that we couldn't cross it.”
Why a New Podcast? The Vision Behind Designed in California
Jason explains the creative vision: a scripted, narrative-driven podcast modeled after expert historians like Tom Holland. He details the research process, including access to Apple Books, oral histories, and personal archives from his Apple coverage.
The Kickstarter Strategy & The WWDC Draft Begins
“We're going to be able to do it at the level that we really wanted to do it. So I'm thrilled, absolutely thrilled.”
The Future of Apple History & A Final Thank You
The episode wraps with a look ahead: the first episodes will cover the road from Apple I to Apple II, with a non-chronological structure. They encourage listeners to back the Kickstarter, join Upgrade Plus for perks, and stay tuned for the next week’s live recording at Apple Park.
“I want this to happen. And that is Lil Finder appears somewhere in the keynote. Yes. The little mascot, the little Mac OS logo character.”
“I don't think even me and you are going to need to decide. I think this will be such a thing that everyone's going to be looking for, and Mastodon will light up and be like, oh, they fixed it! This looks so much better!”
“The reason we turn to Kickstarter is if we're going to do this, we want to do it the best way we possibly can.”
Hosts
Apple
organization
WWDC
other
Designed in California
media
Jason Snell
person
Mike Hurley
person
John Ternus
person
Lil Finder
other
Steve Jobs
person
Mike Rockwell
person
Apple II
product
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