This TechBits episode started the way a lot of real tech conversations do: coffee, an RSS reader, and a pile of stories that all point back to one question: how does this stuff actually affect regular people?
The biggest threads this time were electric vehicle charging, Apple’s new Invites app, privacy pressure around iCloud encryption, AI data concerns, and a handful of practical tools I have either used or want to test more.
Quick Answer
The short version: the EV charging program pause matters because public fast charging is still a weak spot for EV adoption, Apple Invites looks useful but probably not essential for most people, and any government-mandated iCloud backdoor is something I would treat as a serious privacy problem.
On the practical side, I still think password managers are non-negotiable, DeepSeek should be treated with caution if you care about where your data goes, RustDesk is worth another look as a TeamViewer alternative, and OneWheels are fun but expensive enough that renting can make sense.
EV Charging Pause
One of the first stories that jumped out was the Trump administration ordering states to stop work tied to a nationwide EV charging program until new guidance is issued.
This matters because the program was supposed to help states build fast EV charging stations along highways. The reporting I was reading said the infrastructure law authorized $5 billion over five years for the NEVI program, with just over $2 billion allocated to states and much of that not yet spent.
As someone with two electric Teslas, I mostly charge at home. That works fine for normal day-to-day driving. The problem shows up when you are taking longer trips, going away for a weekend, or driving somewhere that does not have reliable charging coverage.
That is why public charging still matters. Even if you personally charge at home 90 percent of the time, the confidence to take an EV farther depends on knowing fast chargers are actually available when you need them.
- Home charging solves most daily EV use.
- Highway fast charging still matters for trips.
- Slowing or pausing charger buildout makes EV ownership harder for people who cannot charge at home.
Apple Invites
Apple also released a new app called Invites. The basic idea is pretty familiar: create an event, send people an invitation, include the location and time, and manage who is coming.
It feels a lot like Apple’s version of Evite, but with a few Apple touches. One feature I do like is the shared album angle. If everyone at a party or gathering can contribute photos into one shared place, that could be useful.
The part I am less sure about is how often most people actually need a dedicated app for this. I played with it, but I have not found a real use for it yet. I am not spinning up big parties all the time, and I am not sure most casual get-togethers need software wrapped around them.
That said, I do like seeing Apple try smaller new apps and services. Not every app has to be a giant platform shift. Sometimes Apple needs to experiment a little more and see what sticks.
- Apple Invites is useful if you host events often.
- Shared albums may be the most interesting part.
- For smaller gatherings, messages or calendar invites may still be enough.
iCloud Backdoors
The UK government reportedly told Apple to create a backdoor for encrypted iCloud backups. That is the kind of story I do not take lightly.
My feeling on this is simple: if a backdoor exists, eventually it gets used in ways people did not originally intend. It may start with good intentions. It may require a subpoena. It may be framed as something only used by the government in serious cases.
But once the mechanism exists, the risk changes. Five years from now, the people, policies, and incentives may not be the same. That is why I see encryption as closer to all-or-nothing. Either the data is locked down and nobody has access, or you have created a gray area where things can go wrong.
One of the reasons I trust Apple more than some other companies is that Apple has consistently claimed it does not build backdoors into its systems. If that ever changed, it would be a major hit to that trust.
- A backdoor built for one government can become a risk for everyone.
- Good intentions do not remove the long-term security problem.
- Trust in Apple depends heavily on the idea that private data stays private.
Fitness Gadgets
The fitness gadget conversation is always a little mixed for me. I have an Apple Watch, and I used to use it more seriously for fitness, but now I mostly use it for notifications on my wrist.
After a year or two, the novelty can wear off. That does not make the device useless, but it changes how you think about it. For me, the Apple Watch is less about workouts now and more about convenience.
I especially see the value for people who do not want to pull out their phone all the time. If you are on a bus, train, or walking around with a bag, being able to glance at a message, call, or notification can be genuinely helpful.
I am less convinced by smart rings for myself. I am not really a ring person, so even if the tracking is useful, the form factor does not fit me.
- Fitness gadgets can be useful, but the novelty fades.
- Apple Watch still works well as a notification device.
- The best wearable is the one you will actually keep wearing.
Privacy And AI
DeepSeek came up because of reports that the iOS app was transmitting sensitive user and device data without encryption. My view here is pretty cautious.
DeepSeek is interesting because it disrupted the AI conversation by showing strong results at lower cost. But it is also a Chinese company, and that matters when you are thinking about where your information is going.
If you use it, treat it as use-at-your-own-risk. Do not put anything into it that you would not want someone else to see. Even if some of the technical issues get fixed, there is probably going to be doubt around it for a while.
That same general rule applies to any AI tool. If the data is private, sensitive, client-related, medical, financial, or tied to work that has confidentiality requirements, think carefully before pasting it into a chatbot.
- Do not put sensitive information into AI tools casually.
- DeepSeek may be technically interesting, but privacy questions remain.
- Assume anything sent to a cloud AI service could be stored, reviewed, or exposed unless you know otherwise.
Password Managers
When the topic of strong passwords came up, my answer was direct: do not make them from your head. Let the computer make the password for you.
At this point, everyone should be using a password manager. You should not be reusing the same password across multiple websites. That is just asking for trouble.
Password managers become even more important once you are managing personal accounts, business accounts, family accounts, kids’ accounts, parents’ accounts, and everything else that piles up over time.
Passkeys are promising, especially for important accounts like banking, but we are still early. The experience can get messy if you move between devices or platforms that do not sync passkeys cleanly. I would use them where they make sense, but I do think some companies are pushing them before the ecosystem feels fully ready.
- Use unique passwords for every important account.
- Let your password manager generate the password.
- Use passkeys where they work well, but expect some early friction.
Tools Worth Testing
A few practical tools came up that I either use now or want to spend more time with.
RustDesk is one of them. It is an open source remote access tool that works a lot like TeamViewer. I tested it about a year ago and the performance was not quite there, but after trying it again, it felt much smoother. I was able to remote into another machine, move around more cleanly, and even watch video playback more smoothly.
I am hosting my own RustDesk server locally, which means I am not relying on someone else’s relay. It is cross-platform across Mac, Windows, and Linux, and it can even work with headless Linux setups now.
DaVinci Resolve also came up for Sony camera users. I moved to DaVinci years ago after using Final Cut. Resolve has long been the standard for color work, and once the editing and audio tools became stronger, switching made sense for me.
I also mentioned Open Deep Research, an open source project that tries to build a simple deep research agent using search, web scraping, and large language models. I bookmarked it because I may want to install it on one of my machines and see how it compares to paid research tools.
- RustDesk is worth another look if you want an open source TeamViewer-style tool.
- DaVinci Resolve remains a strong option, especially if color work matters to you.
- Open Deep Research looks interesting for people who want to experiment with AI research workflows.
OneWheel Experience
I also talked about OneWheels, because I picked up two of them almost two years ago for me and my boys.
They are fun, but there is a learning curve. A lot of people assume that if they skateboard, they can jump right on a OneWheel without much trouble. I think it feels a little closer to snowboarding than skateboarding.
The other big point is price. The GT S model is close to $3,000 before you start adding pads and accessories. That is a lot of money for something recreational.
To offset some of the cost, we rent ours locally through FriendWithA. We have a GT S listed for $100 a day and a Pint for $50 a day. If you are curious about riding one but not ready to buy, renting for a day or weekend is a much better way to test it.
- OneWheels are fun, but they take practice.
- They are expensive enough that renting first makes sense.
- Snowboarding experience may translate better than skateboarding experience.
Social Feeds
Tapestry also caught my attention. It comes from the people behind Tweetbot, and the idea is to combine feeds from services like Mastodon, Bluesky, YouTube, and RSS.
That is interesting to me because I still like RSS. I prefer a curated feed where I choose the sources and people I trust instead of letting a social network decide what I should see.
I use Inoreader for that now. I can organize feeds by category, save articles, and use tags. There is even an AI element that can tag certain topics, like Apple Vision Pro, based on the sources I already follow.
I have Mastodon and Bluesky accounts, but I do not push to them heavily. Mastodon can feel very segmented, which is partly the point. Bluesky felt early on like it had a lot of news and political energy. For me, RSS is still the better fit when I want focused tech information.
- RSS is still useful if you want control over your information sources.
- Tapestry may be interesting if you want social feeds and RSS in one place.
- Curated feeds beat random algorithmic noise for focused tech research.
Vision Pro Notes
Apple Vision Pro came up a few times because I still use mine daily.
One of my bigger thoughts is that if Apple wants real gaming on Vision Pro, it probably needs some kind of controller or joystick support. Apple did not launch it as a gaming device the way Meta pushes some of its headsets. It has been positioned more as a productivity tool, and that makes gaming a harder problem to solve.
I also talked about the Vision Pro community. FaceTime is one of the best experiences on the device, but it only really works if you know other people who also have Vision Pro. You also have to share an email or phone number, which is not something I suggest doing with everyone.
That is why apps like InSpaze are useful. They give Vision Pro users a way to meet other people in shared spaces without immediately handing out personal contact information.
- Vision Pro still needs better input options if gaming is going to grow.
- The social side is limited by how few people own one.
- Community apps help fill the gap that FaceTime cannot solve by itself.
Key Takeaways
- The EV charging program pause matters because public fast charging is still important, even for EV owners who mostly charge at home.
- Apple Invites is a polished idea, but it may only be useful if you regularly host events or want shared albums tied to gatherings.
- A government-mandated iCloud backdoor would create long-term privacy and security risks, even if introduced with good intentions.
- Use a password manager and stop reusing passwords across websites.
- Treat DeepSeek and other cloud AI tools carefully if you are handling sensitive information.
- RustDesk, DaVinci Resolve, Tapestry, and Open Deep Research are all tools worth watching or testing depending on your workflow.
Watch the Video
The video above above for the full TechBits walkthrough, including the live RSS browsing, extra commentary, and the side conversations around robot vacuums, Apple Vision Pro, OneWheels, and the tools I am testing next.
