How Apple Tried To Fool Face ID With Hollywood Masks | David Pogue

David Pogue spent years covering Apple from the outside, and in this one he pulls back the curtain on Steve Jobs, the Titan submersible, and what it’s like to be a journalist who gets screamed at by one of the most demanding CEOs in tech. He talks about the screenshot feature Apple refused to hand him, the 400-screenshot favor that followed, and why he thinks Tim Cook has quietly turned the Apple Watch into a medical device. He also shares what it was like to ride the Titan down to the wreck site, why he’s not convinced being a jerk is necessary to succeed, and a few stories about Steve’s private kindness that never made it into the mythology.

This one is for anyone who’s ever wondered what Apple was really like behind the keynote, and for founders trying to figure out whether they need to be the toughest person in the room to win.

Thanks to our sponsors: TUOM, Necodex, and Truebinding and WinstonTaylor.

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 – Trailer

01:36 – Welcome to Silicon Zombies & Introducing David Pogue

02:00 – Apple’s 50th Anniversary & the Book Launch

03:05 – Signed Bookplates for Viewers

03:15 – David’s Background: From Broadway Dreams to Tech Reviewer

05:05 – CBS Sunday Morning & Twenty Years on Air

06:08 – Apple Book Access: Why Apple Said Yes

07:05 – The iPhone Screenshot Feature & the 400-Screenshot Favor

09:02 – The Secret Behind Apple’s “David Pogue Feature”

09:15 – Are Steve Jobs-Style CEOs Necessary to Succeed?

10:47 – The Titan Submersible: Three Strikes and a Dive Aborted

13:01 – Inside the Countdown Rituals & the Stop Check

14:24 – Tim Cook: Nerdy Number Cruncher or Product Guy?

16:02 – Services, Growth, and Apple’s Business Scale

16:31 – Apple Watch as a Medical Device: Atrial Fibrillation

17:12 – Audience Show of Hands: Lives Saved by Apple Watch

18:04 – Sleep Apnea, Hypertension, and Snoring Features

18:08 – Why David Got the iPhone Wrong in 2006

19:17 – Singular Carrier, Secret Prototypes & the iPhone Launch

20:03 – The Movie Critic’s Question: Steve Jobs on Screen

21:21 – The Famous Imposter Keynote & “One More Thing”

22:05 – Wi-Fi, Mouse, and Forgotten Apple Firsts

23:22 – Inside Apple: Trust, Access & Culture

24:29 – Face ID Testing: Masks, Twins & Makeup Mondays

26:21 – Steve’s Phone Call Over iMovie

27:50 – Apple’s Hidden Workforce & Alumni in the Crowd

28:18 – Live Performance: Song Parodies About Apple

35:38 – Q&A Begins: Steve Jobs’s Temper & Journalism

37:03 – What the Smartphone Looks Like in 10 Years

39:40 – Should We Be Concerned About AI?

42:23 – Empathy in Steve Jobs & the Products of Tomorrow

44:31 – Secret Acts of Kindness: Bill Atkinson, Pixar, Scott Forstall

46:42 – The Last Conversation With Steve Jobs

47:24 – Books, Reading & the Magic Trick

49:11 – Where to Buy the Book

49:37 – Closing Song & Goodbye

📍 About Silicon Zombies:

Silicon Zombies is a Top 5% global podcast for AI, Venture Capital & Tech Innovation, hosted by Nick Larson. 🧟 Straight from the heart of Silicon Valley, we bring you weekly deep-dives with elite AI engineers, VCs, and longevity innovators shaping the next decade. We cut through the hype vs. reality of emerging tech, SaaS, biohacking, and start-up investing, no fluff, just real insight. Whether you're a founder building your network, an engineer chasing technical depth, or simply staying ahead of the curve, we bridge the gap. Insider access to the world's brightest tech minds. Weekly live streams with a global community across 100+ countries.

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