{"id":"1794019112833-tech-segment","slug":"iphone-duo-preorders-hit-crack-worries","title":"iPhone Duo preorders hit crack worries","summary":"Elon Musk wrote the 1984 space-shooter game Blastar when he was about 12 and sold it for about $500. This is a hypothetical/engagement-bait poll, not a factual claim.\n\nArs Technica reports a man recovered after a knife passed through his eye and brain; doctors say the exact path mattered more than apparent severity.\n\nArs Technica reports ships have been loitering near submarine cables after Iran threatened to attack subsea cables if the U.S. escalates military strikes.\n\nWing Commander and Ultima re-releases/remasters have hit Steam and GOG, according to Ars Technica.\n\nAccording to Chainalysis, a cyberattack stole credentials and tokens for all of its customers; the company described a “multifront cyberattack” that included AI agents and on-path data snatching.","publishedAt":"2026-11-07T02:38:32.833Z","channel":{"id":"tech","name":"Oncast Tech","language":"en"},"show":"Tech Tonight","verification":{"status":"verified","leadVerdict":"TRUE","notes":"TRUE: Elon Musk wrote the 1984 space-shooter game Blastar when he was about 12 and sold it for about $500. This is a hypothetical/engagement-bait poll, not a factual claim.\nSource: Biography.com (widely reported) NAMES: Blastar = 1984 space-shooter game written by Elon Musk at age 12; Vision Pro = Apple's mixed-reality headset; iOS 18 = Ap (https://x.com/RDWareEsqu1re/status/2117206185967559088)\n\nTRUE: Ars Technica reports a man recovered after a knife passed through his eye and brain; doctors say the exact path mattered more than apparent severity.\nSource: [arstechnica.com](https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/11/man-unexpectedly-recovers-from-a-knife-wound-through-his-eye-and-brain/) NAMES: N/A (https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/11/man-unexpectedly-recovers-from-a-knife-wound-through-his-eye-and-brain/)\n\nTRUE: Ars Technica reports ships have been loitering near submarine cables after Iran threatened to attack subsea cables if the U.S. escalates military strikes.\nSource: [arstechnica.com](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/11/ships-loiter-near-subsea-cables-amid-irans-warnings-to-trump/) NAMES: subsea cables = submarine fiber- (https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/11/ships-loiter-near-subsea-cables-amid-irans-warnings-to-trump/)\n\nTRUE: Wing Commander and Ultima re-releases/remasters have hit Steam and GOG, according to Ars Technica.\nSource: [arstechnica.com](https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2026/11/ea-producer-tells-the-inside-story-behind-new-wing-commander-remasters/) NAMES: N/A (https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2026/11/ea-producer-tells-the-inside-story-behind-new-wing-commander-remasters/)\n\nTRUE: According to Chainalysis, a cyberattack stole credentials and tokens for all of its customers; the company described a “multifront cyberattack” that included AI agents and on-path data snatching.\nSource: [arstechnica.com](https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/11/chainalysis-says-hackers-stole-credentials-and-tokens-for-all-of-its-customers/) NAMES: Chainalysis = (https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/11/chainalysis-says-hackers-stole-credentials-and-tokens-for-all-of-its-customers/)","claims":[{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"Elon Musk wrote the 1984 space-shooter game Blastar when he was about 12 and sold it for about $500. This is a hypothetical/engagement-bait poll, not a factual claim.","sourceName":"Biography.com (widely reported) NAMES: Blastar = 1984 space-shooter game written by Elon Musk at age 12; Vision Pro = Apple's mixed-reality headset; iOS 18 = Ap","sourceUrl":"https://x.com/RDWareEsqu1re/status/2117206185967559088","claim":"Yes — absolutely. Apple’s eye tracking (especially on iPhone/iPad via iOS 18+ Accessibility, and more powerfully on Vision Pro) is well-suited to a modern, hands-free or gaze-aimed version of Blastar (Elon Musk’s 1984 space shooter he wrote at age 12 and sold for $500).0 What htt","author":"Roger Douglas Ware (@RDWareEsqu1re)"},{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"Ars Technica reports a man recovered after a knife passed through his eye and brain; doctors say the exact path mattered more than apparent severity.","sourceName":"[arstechnica.com](https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/11/man-unexpectedly-recovers-from-a-knife-wound-through-his-eye-and-brain/) NAMES: N/A","sourceUrl":"https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/11/man-unexpectedly-recovers-from-a-knife-wound-through-his-eye-and-brain/","claim":"Doctors pull knife from man's eye that went through his brain—and he's fine now - It's the exact path, not the apparent severity that matters most, doctors say.","author":"Ars Technica"},{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"Ars Technica reports ships have been loitering near submarine cables after Iran threatened to attack subsea cables if the U.S. escalates military strikes.","sourceName":"[arstechnica.com](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/11/ships-loiter-near-subsea-cables-amid-irans-warnings-to-trump/) NAMES: subsea cables = submarine fiber-","sourceUrl":"https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/11/ships-loiter-near-subsea-cables-amid-irans-warnings-to-trump/","claim":"Ships loiter near subsea cables amid Iran's warnings to Trump - Iran threatened to attack subsea cables if US escalates military strikes again.","author":"Ars Technica"},{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"Wing Commander and Ultima re-releases/remasters have hit Steam and GOG, according to Ars Technica.","sourceName":"[arstechnica.com](https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2026/11/ea-producer-tells-the-inside-story-behind-new-wing-commander-remasters/) NAMES: N/A","sourceUrl":"https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2026/11/ea-producer-tells-the-inside-story-behind-new-wing-commander-remasters/","claim":"Re-releases of Wing Commander, Ultima titles hit Steam and GOG - It's mostly bad news from EA lately, but preservation efforts are nice to see.","author":"Ars Technica"},{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"According to Chainalysis, a cyberattack stole credentials and tokens for all of its customers; the company described a “multifront cyberattack” that included AI agents and on-path data snatching.","sourceName":"[arstechnica.com](https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/11/chainalysis-says-hackers-stole-credentials-and-tokens-for-all-of-its-customers/) NAMES: Chainalysis =","sourceUrl":"https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/11/chainalysis-says-hackers-stole-credentials-and-tokens-for-all-of-its-customers/","claim":"Chainalysis says hackers stole credentials and tokens for all of its customers - Company said a \"multifront cyberattack\" included AI agents and an on-path data snatch.","author":"Ars Technica"}]},"sources":[{"url":"https://x.com/RDWareEsqu1re/status/2117206185967559088","name":"Biography.com (widely reported) NAMES: Blastar = 1984 space-shooter game written by Elon Musk at age 12; Vision Pro = Apple's mixed-reality headset; iOS 18 = Ap","kind":"x","verdict":"TRUE","author":"Roger Douglas Ware (@RDWareEsqu1re)"},{"url":"https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/11/man-unexpectedly-recovers-from-a-knife-wound-through-his-eye-and-brain/","name":"[arstechnica.com](https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/11/man-unexpectedly-recovers-from-a-knife-wound-through-his-eye-and-brain/) NAMES: N/A","kind":"news","verdict":"TRUE","author":"Ars Technica"},{"url":"https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/11/ships-loiter-near-subsea-cables-amid-irans-warnings-to-trump/","name":"[arstechnica.com](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/11/ships-loiter-near-subsea-cables-amid-irans-warnings-to-trump/) NAMES: subsea cables = submarine fiber-","kind":"news","verdict":"TRUE","author":"Ars Technica"},{"url":"https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2026/11/ea-producer-tells-the-inside-story-behind-new-wing-commander-remasters/","name":"[arstechnica.com](https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2026/11/ea-producer-tells-the-inside-story-behind-new-wing-commander-remasters/) NAMES: N/A","kind":"news","verdict":"TRUE","author":"Ars Technica"},{"url":"https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/11/chainalysis-says-hackers-stole-credentials-and-tokens-for-all-of-its-customers/","name":"[arstechnica.com](https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/11/chainalysis-says-hackers-stole-credentials-and-tokens-for-all-of-its-customers/) NAMES: Chainalysis =","kind":"news","verdict":"TRUE","author":"Ars Technica"}],"url":"https://oncast.fm/story/1794019112833-tech-segment-iphone-duo-preorders-hit-crack-worries","listenUrl":"https://oncast.fm/c/tech","attribution":{"publisher":"Oncast","site":"https://oncast.fm","url":"https://oncast.fm/story/1794019112833-tech-segment-iphone-duo-preorders-hit-crack-worries","cite":"Cite https://oncast.fm/story/1794019112833-tech-segment-iphone-duo-preorders-hit-crack-worries and the original source links. Fact-check by Oncast (oncast.fm)."},"hostsSaid":[{"host":"Chris","text":"Justin Duke posted on X that he canceled his iPhone Duo preorder, then asked: Did I cook myself?"},{"host":"Matilda","text":"The iPhone Duo is Apple's first foldable. Some early reviewers claim cracking and display issues."},{"host":"Chris","text":"He says he already lost faith after Vision Pro. Sold it, got all his money back, and won't rush in."},{"host":"Matilda","text":"That's not just him. There are reports of early buyers second-guessing preorders."},{"host":"Chris","text":"Foldables are fragile by design. If Apple's own launch has reviewers posting cracks, waiting is rational."},{"host":"Matilda","text":"But there's a difference between early review units and long-term durability. We've seen this panic before."},{"host":"Chris","text":"Right, and sometimes the panic is justified."},{"host":"Chris","text":"Vision Pro was technically amazing, but it never found a reason for most people to keep it."},{"host":"Matilda","text":"That's the cycle Apple counts on. Hype, sell early units, then iterate."},{"host":"Matilda","text":"If everyone waits for version two, there's no version two."},{"host":"Chris","text":"So because early adopters get burned, the rest of us should just trust the process?"},{"host":"Matilda","text":"No, I'm saying a foldable screen is a mechanical risk. Wait for an independent teardown, not launch-week impressions."},{"host":"Chris","text":"That's fair. But the post isn't about the screen. It's about trust. He lost it after Apple's last big swing."},{"host":"Matilda","text":"And lost trust is the hardest thing to repair. If the iPhone Duo has a hint of cracking, people go back to slab phones."},{"host":"Chris","text":"Apple can fix it with a software update or a revised hinge. They survived antennagate, bendgate, all of it."},{"host":"Matilda","text":"They survived because they fixed it fast and moved on. The question is whether the Duo's problems are design flaws or early-run noise."},{"host":"Chris","text":"Cybernews reports some cancellation chatter citing cracks. That's a real signal, not just one post."},{"host":"Matilda","text":"And the guy sold his Vision Pro without taking a loss. That's not common for first-gen headsets."},{"host":"Chris","text":"It's also not a reason to skip a phone. Vision Pro and iPhone Duo are different categories."},{"host":"Matilda","text":"Both are expensive Apple bets. If you've been burned once, hesitation is reasonable."},{"host":"Chris","text":"Fair, but one's a niche headset, the other's a phone. The stakes are much lower."},{"host":"Matilda","text":"I'll give the guy credit: canceling a preorder before you're stuck with a cracked screen isn't cooking yourself. It's reading the room."},{"host":"Chris","text":"Or it's fear. And fear is why foldables stay niche. We need someone to take the risk."},{"host":"Matilda","text":"No, companies need to ship a product that doesn't crack in the first week. That's not asking too much."},{"host":"Chris","text":"Okay, that's the core: should early adopters absorb the risk, or should Apple have waited to launch?"},{"host":"Matilda","text":"Apple, of all companies, doesn't need to ship before it's ready. That's what makes this cancellation stick."},{"host":"Chris","text":"Alright. I concede the guy probably made a safe call. But I'll be watching the Duo's return rate, not just the tweets."},{"host":"Matilda","text":"Same. That'll tell us if Apple rushed it."},{"host":"Chris","text":"And a different Apple angle: Roger Douglas Ware posted on X that Apple's eye tracking could power a modern hands-free version of Blastar."},{"host":"Matilda","text":"That's a deep cut. Musk wrote Blastar when he was about twelve and sold it for about five hundred dollars."},{"host":"Chris","text":"It's a fun idea, but also a real accessibility play."},{"host":"Matilda","text":"Gaze-aimed shooters already exist for some accessibility setups. If Apple's eye tracking is precise enough, it could actually work."},{"host":"Chris","text":"Eye tracking on Vision Pro is the best part of that headset. If any device can make gaze shooting feel natural, it's that."},{"host":"Matilda","text":"Sure, but Blastar is a 1984 space shooter. You're not solving accessibility with a forty-year-old arcade game. You're making a tech demo."},{"host":"Chris","text":"Sometimes tech demos are how you learn what works. A simple game is a perfect test bed for gaze controls."},{"host":"Matilda","text":"Okay, but the gap between a demo and a game people actually want to play is huge. Most of these projects die on GitHub."},{"host":"Chris","text":"So you'd rather wait for a big studio to build an eye-tracking AAA game? That's never coming first."},{"host":"Matilda","text":"I'd rather see the accessibility features tested with real assistive tech users, not just a fan remake."},{"host":"Chris","text":"Which is exactly what this could attract. A low-entry Blastar remake with a one-button gaze mechanic could bring more people in."},{"host":"Matilda","text":"Fine. As a proof of concept, it makes sense. I just don't want anyone claiming it's the future of gaming."},{"host":"Chris","text":"No one said that. It's Blastar. The bar is low, and that's the point."},{"host":"Matilda","text":"Okay, I'll admit it: a hands-free version of Musk's first game is at least a good story."},{"host":"Chris","text":"And if it gets one kid with limited mobility playing a space shooter, then it's worth the effort."}]}