Your Luxury Car Now Has Ads!

Summary of Your Luxury Car Now Has Ads!

by MKBHD

2h 8m•August 7, 2026
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Overview of Waveform Podcast — “Your Luxury Car Now Has Ads!”

This episode is a fast-moving roundup of tech news, product drama, and a lot of browser/app gripes. The hosts focus on how platforms and hardware companies are pushing into awkward new territory: YouTube turning sharing into messaging, BMW placing ads inside luxury cars, the EU forcing more interoperability and AI disclosure, and a wave of new niche devices and wearables trying to carve out a place in crowded categories.

Major Topics Discussed

YouTube’s confusing new sharing/reply system

  • The hosts open with a long critique of YouTube’s new share-link behavior.
  • Shared videos can now open into a reply-style interface that behaves like a mini DM thread.
  • The implementation is described as confusing, poorly tested, and hard to navigate on mobile.
  • Their main complaint: people share YouTube links in texting apps, not inside YouTube, so forcing conversation into YouTube feels unnatural.
  • They propose a much simpler alternative: a “friends recommended” feed instead of awkward built-in messaging.

BMW putting ads in cars

  • BMW reportedly showed a Spider-Man ad on some vehicles at startup.
  • The hosts argue this crosses a line because cars are “private spaces,” not billboards.
  • They frame it as a luxury-brand identity problem: BMW should be selling premium products, not behaving like Fortnite with branded content.
  • They note that the ad was part of a “brand partnership,” which makes it sound even more like a paid ad than an Easter egg.
  • They suggest it would have been better if the Spider-Man content were hidden and opt-in, like a discoverable Easter egg.

LG TV and “consent fatigue”

  • One host shares the opposite experience: repeatedly hitting “Later” on LG TV agreements seems to improve performance.
  • The running joke is that refusing data/permission prompts has apparently made the TV faster and more responsive.
  • This turns into a broader joke about modern devices working better when they are denied permissions they probably shouldn’t need.

Ford’s new low-cost EV truck platform

  • Ford revealed “Fathom,” its upcoming affordable electric truck platform.
  • Starting price is around $28,350 before destination charges, which puts it near $30K.
  • The hosts see this as a response to the Slate truck and the broader demand for cheaper EVs.
  • They debate size/category confusion:
    • Ford calls it “midsize.”
    • That likely means larger than the Slate.
    • It may end up closer to a Ranger than a Maverick.
  • The key takeaway: a real sub-$30K EV truck may finally be coming from a major automaker.

EU interoperability: Apple clipboard on Windows

  • The hosts discuss the EU Digital Markets Act and Microsoft’s request that Apple make Universal Clipboard work across Windows.
  • Apple is reportedly working on cross-platform copy/paste with one-time device pairing, possibly arriving around 2027–2028.
  • They debate whether regulators are going too far or whether interoperability is needed to stop ecosystem lock-in.
  • Their shared view:
    • Interoperability is good for consumers in many cases.
    • But forcing core product features across rival platforms can also feel like added work for companies that weren’t the ones blocking the feature.
  • They use this to revisit how useful Apple’s continuity ecosystem is, especially for users who mix Apple and Windows devices.

Firefox split view

  • One host praises Firefox’s new split-view feature for opening links side-by-side.
  • He uses it for podcast prep: one side is a doc of notes, the other side is the source article.
  • The others poke at the fact that this sort of thing exists in other browsers too, but they agree it’s useful.
  • He has a few UX complaints:
    • Closing one split should keep the other side stable.
    • Replacing the right-side pane would feel more intuitive than creating weird navigation states.

Minimal Phone 2 teaser

  • The new Minimal Phone 2 trailer gets a lot of attention.
  • It’s moving from an e-ink display to OLED, with a physical keyboard and a more polished UX.
  • The hosts are intrigued because it looks more usable than the original, which intentionally limited the user experience.
  • Their concerns:
    • It may be expensive.
    • The teaser looks too premium for a niche device, which suggests a high price.
    • The company hinted at iMessage support, but it’s unclear how that would work.
  • They see it as a potential “better secondary phone,” but not yet a proven primary phone.

CMF Clip Pro and EU AI labeling

  • CMF’s new open-ear headphones were announced with AI-generated marketing images and videos.
  • The EU’s new AI labeling requirements force companies to visibly mark synthetic or altered media.
  • The hosts think CMF’s labeling looks intentionally hidden and that the AI usage is poorly handled.
  • They also note that the campaign seems odd because the product and ad visuals don’t require AI at all.
  • The broader concern: AI labeling may become a public-relations problem for companies, even when the actual AI use is minor.

OpenAI vs. Apple lawsuit updates

  • OpenAI published a blog post pushing back on Apple’s lawsuit.
  • The post includes emails and iMessage-style screenshots meant to show Apple’s claims are inaccurate.
  • The hosts find it bizarre that a company would actively blog about ongoing litigation.
  • They also note that the screenshots are weirdly reconstructed and not cleanly formatted, making the whole thing feel unusually messy for a legal dispute.

Fitbit data syncing to Apple Health

  • Fitbit data can now sync directly into Apple Health.
  • One host is excited because it removes a bridge app and lets Fitbit serve as a data source for the Apple Health ecosystem.
  • He explains why Apple Health is valuable:
    • It acts as a central hub.
    • Other apps can pull from it, so it’s useful as a system of record for health data.

Garmin Circa first impressions

  • One host gives early impressions of the Garmin Circa.
  • His main concerns:
    • The device is too large for a screenless tracker.
    • The software and app experience are not as polished as Fitbit’s.
    • It tracks less frequently outside of active activities to save battery, which can hurt data quality.
  • Things he likes:
    • Sleep detection is impressively accurate.
    • The button and band are nice.
    • Battery-conscious always-on tracking is smart.
  • But overall, he feels the Fitbit Air is the better buy right now because it’s smaller, cheaper, and more refined.

Casio ring watch

  • The hosts react with disbelief to Casio’s ring-sized watch.
  • It’s literally a tiny Casio watch worn on a finger.
  • They joke about whether it’s a watch, a ring, or just a bracelet with extra steps.
  • The product is treated as whimsical, absurd, and very “Casio.”
  • They also mention a future health-tracking version in China, which further deepens the weirdness.

Keychron’s unusual product momentum

  • Keychron is highlighted as a company that has been “cooking lately.”
  • They’re showing off:
    • Lightweight gaming mice
    • Magnetic swappable batteries
    • Tiny trackball/trackpad hybrids
    • Other experimental peripherals
  • The CEO is actively posting on Twitter and soliciting feedback.
  • The hosts see this as a sign the company is becoming more community-driven and enthusiast-focused again.

Running Themes and Takeaways

Product design and user trust matter

  • Whether it’s BMW ads in a car, YouTube’s awkward reply system, or AI-labeled marketing, the episode repeatedly returns to the idea that companies often make products worse in the name of monetization or growth.

Ecosystem features can be genuinely useful

  • Universal Clipboard, Apple Health as a hub, and YouTube’s watch-later/history workarounds all show how sticky ecosystem features become once users rely on them.
  • The hosts are divided on whether regulators should force those features to be open, but they agree the convenience is real.

“Minimal” and “luxury” branding invites scrutiny

  • The Minimal Phone and BMW both get judged harshly against their own branding promises.
  • If you call something premium, minimal, or luxury, people will notice when it feels cheap, cluttered, or invasive.

Notable Trivia Answers

  • Old-timey distance unit: the farthest is the league.
  • Car-sharing service Reach Now was operated by: BMW.

Bottom Line

This episode is mostly about tech companies overreaching: YouTube over-socializing, BMW turning cars into ad surfaces, and platform companies being forced to open up ecosystems. Mixed in are a bunch of product teases and wearable reviews, with the standout practical conclusion being that the Fitbit Air currently looks like the best screenless health tracker in the group, while the Minimal Phone 2 and Keychron’s peripherals are the most intriguing “watch this space” products.