The Tech Night Owl Live Tech Radio With A Twist!

Cutting-edge commentator Daniel Eran Dilger, of Roughly Drafted Magazine and AppleInsider, returns to talk about Microsoft's ongoing problems in remaining relevant, and his reactions to persistent rumors that a small iPad is coming later this year. Tech blogger Jonathan Rettinger, of TechnoBuffalo, also talks about the potential for an iPad mini and how it may take over the market for small tablets. He'll also suggest a possible solution for RIM to save the BlackBerry business, and about the possibilities for an Amazon smartphone. Prolific author Joe Kissell, whose "Take Control of Upgrading to Mountain Lion," has been released, will explain how to make sure your Mac can run OS 10.8, and how to prepare for the upgrade.

Prolific author Bob “Dr. Mac” LeVitus talks about Microsoft's woes, and gives you a preview of the best (and worst) features of OS 10.8 Mountain Lion. Author and commentator Ted Landau discusses some of the problems with Apple's Mac App Store, including the limitations of sandboxing, the inability to get demo software or discounted app upgrades. From Jim Galbraith, the Lab Director of Macworld, you'll get the latest and greatest benchmarks of Apple's recent MacBook upgrades, including the MacBook Pro with Retina display. Is it time to retire your old Mac notebook?

author and commentator Kirk McElhearn, Macworld's "iTunes Guy," evaluates suggestions to change iTunes, such as the value of splitting the features into separate apps. We also cover Google's I/O conference in San Francisco, where they launched the 7-inch Nexus 7 tablet, a potential competitor to the Amazon Kindle Fire, the Android 4.1 "Jelly Bean" OS, and the Nexus Q set top box. Along to talk about the event, and Microsoft's recent mobile-related announcements, is industry analyst Ross Rubin of The NPD Group, and Avram Piltch, Online Editorial Director of Laptop magazine.

We focus on some key announcements from Microsoft that have dominated tech news, such as the demonstration of a 10.6-inch tablet in two versions known as Surface, and the first announcement about the new features in Windows Phone 8. We'll also cover the potential and some of the key problems that have appeared in the forthcoming Windows 8 upgrade. Our guests include outspoken columnist and former industry analyst Joe Wilcox, from BetaNews, commentator Jim Dalrymple, Editor in Chief of The Loop, and Mike Prospero, Reviews Editor of Laptop magazine. We'll also cover Apple's amazing new MacBook Pro with Retina display, and its impact to the notebook market.

We will focus heavily on Apple's Worldwide Developer's Conference, and all the news about OS X Mountain Lion and iOS 6, along with the amazing MacBook Pro with Retina display. Our guests include author and commentator Kirk McElhearn, aka "The iTunes Guy," who will also discuss the expected death of Apple's iTunes Ping social networking feature. Avram Piltch, Online Editorial Director of Laptop magazine, will be on board to discuss the magazine's tests of the new MacBook Pro with Retina display, and his concerns about the prospects for Windows Phone and Windows 8. John Martellaro, Senior Editor, Analysis & Reviews for The Mac Observer, will discuss the WWDC, and voice his concerns for Apple's ongoing support of the pro market, even though Tim Cook has already announced a major Mac Pro upgrade for 2013.

Cutting-edge commentator Daniel Eran Dilger, of Roughly Drafted Magazine and AppleInsider, offers insights on Tim Cook's interview at the All Things Digital D10 conference, his observations of the ongoing mobile platform wars, and expectations for Apple's announcements at next week's WWDC. Author and commentator Ted Landau, who writes for Macworld and The Mac Observer, discusses the possibility of a larger screen iPhone, potential problems for developers because of the new sandboxing requirement for Apple's Mac App Store, Apple's "Six Best Decisions of the 21st Century," and the possible product intros at the WWDC.

Author and commentator Kirk McElhearn, aka "The iTunes Guy," talks about the potential minefields for Apple's sandboxing security scheme for OS X apps. What obstacles will it present to Mac developers? He'll also talk about the failed iTunes Ping social networking service. Columnist Jim Dalrymple, Editor in Chief of The Loop, will be asked about what we can expect from Apple at the WWDC in light of his recent remark that the Mac Pro won't be discontinued. He'll also talk about the tragic state of Research In Motion and the BlackBerry. A new visitor, Kirk Hiner, Editor in Chief of AppleTell, will describe how he got involved in covering the Apple universe. He'll also offer his feelings about the recent Tim Cook Interview at the All Things Digital D10 conference, his expectations for upcoming Mac hardware, and the next revision of the iOS.

Steve Kruschen, aka "Mr. Gadget," returns to talk about his new book, "The Mr. Gadget Consumer Tech Guide - Volume One: Electronics, Gadgetry & Technology: The One and Only Mr. Gadget Reveals What to Buy and Why to Buy It! (Volume 1)." Mr. Gadget will also discuss some of the latest and greatest tear gear that he's tested. Avram Piltch, Online Editorial Director of Laptop magazine, returns for his third appearance three in a row. This week he'll tell you about "10 Gadgets You’d Be a Fool to Buy Right Now," and he'll also talk about the questions surrounding the Facebook IPO, and the sad state of HP, which has announced a new round of layoffs amid tepid sales.

John Martellaro, Senior Editor, Analysis & Reviews for The Mac Observer, offers some pointed tips on what other companies need to do to compete with Apple -- and changing the CEO is on the list. Avram Piltch, Online Editorial Director of Laptop magazine, returns for an encore appearance. This week he'll tell you about "15 Ways to Accelerate Your PC’s Slowest Component: You!," and we'll be offering both Mac and Windows tips. You'll also hear from best-selling author Bob “Dr. Mac” LeVitus," who will discuss the state of Mac security, the sad state of security fear-mongering, and the security potential of Mac OS 10.8 Mountain Lion.

Jim Dalrymple, Editor in Chief of The Loop, discusses Apple's recent security updates, and the key issues involving both desktop and mobile computing platforms from Apple and the competition. Adam Engst, from TidBITS and Take Control Books, offers a detailed discussion of Apple's approach to Mac security, and how recent updates have the effect of disabling older or unused versions of Flash and Java. For a fascinating change of pace, Avram Piltch, Online Editorial Director of Laptop magazine, talks about the "Top 10 Tech Stupidity Taxes You Should Never Pay," which include rent-to-own stores, extended warranties, and other services that he regards as questionable.

Macworld's "iTunes Guy," Kirk McElhearn, talks about how cell phone plans differ in the U.S. and France, and the impact of the ongoing migration of portions of the iOS to OS X. Outspoken commentator Peter Cohen, from the "Angry Mac Bastards" radio show and Executive Editor for The Loop, talks about cell phone woes, and offers a reality check about the malware situation on the Mac platform. ClouldFlare CEO Matthew Prince explains how the company, selected by the Wall Street Journal in 2011 as the Most Innovative Internet Technology company, can help protect your site and make it run faster.

Tech writer Geoffrey Morrison (@TechWriterGeoff on Twitter), who covers the TV beat for CNET, Sound&Vision and other publications, discusses current technology and when is the best time to replace your old set. You'll also hear from cutting-edge commentator Daniel Eran Dilger, of Roughly Drafted Magazine and AppleInsider, who takes a look at Apple's ongoing record earnings, and then gives you his take on the PC and mobile platform wars, and the likely winners and losers. From The NPD Group, industry analyst Ross Rubin also gives you his views on the latest results from Apple Inc. and Microsoft, and examines the current state of the art when it comes to 3D TV.

Tonya Engst, of TidBITS and Take Control Books, speaks about the Department of Justice's antitrust lawsuit against Apple and major book publishers from the viewpoint of a small ebook publisher. She'll also discuss her latest book, "Take Control of Your iPad." From Laptop magazine, Avram Piltch, the Online Editorial Director, discusses the 15 technologies that will be history by the time his newborn son, Isaac, becomes a teenager. You'll also learn about the most secure methods to transfer your files from Ian Shray, Co-founder and CEO of WellRedApps, who will be talking about the release of a new file encryption app, DropKey.

Macworld's "iTunes Guy," Kirk McElhearn, brings you up to date on ongoing iTunes problems, and also gives you the full story behind the recent Flashback malware outbreak that reportedly infected up to 600,000 Macs before Apple released a Java security update to fix the problem. From TidBITS and Take Control Books, Michael E. Cohen speaks about the Department of Justice's antitrust lawsuit against Apple and five major book publishers for alleged price fixing. Macworld Senior Editor Dan Frakes also discusses the Department of Justice antitrust action, along with iTunes syncing problems and other issues, plus the best way to recharge your new iPad, which has heftier power needs because of the Retina Display and other components.

Best-selling author Bob “Dr. Mac” LeVitus gives you a preview of his new book, co-written with USA Today's Ed Baig, entitled "The iPad for Dummies," the latest edition of which covers the new iPad. Tech blogger Jonathan Rettinger, of TechnoBuffalo, discusses the trials and tribulations of Yahoo!, and also offers an early look at Nokia's Lumia 900, meant as the flagship smartphone for the Windows Phone OS. Nationally syndicated tech columnist Craig Crossman, host of the Computer America radio show, discusses his experiences with 100 megabit broadband, and why you might have to replace your network cables if your ISP offers higher speeds.

Macworld's "iTunes Guy," Kirk McElhearn, returns to discuss his personal war stories involving defective products he's purchased from Apple and Logitech. He also explains why it's a good idea to purchase an extended warranty. Macworld Lab Director Jim Galbraith reveals the results of the magazine's heat and battery tests of the new iPad, and how they compare to other posted test results, including the ones from Consumer Reports. Cutting edge commentator Daniel Eran Dilger, of Roughly Drafted Magazine and AppleInsider, describes his thorough evaluation of the new iPad, why it was singled out for what he believes to be unfair treatment because of non-existent heat problems, and then delivers an overview of the ongoing platform wars involving Apple, Google and Microsoft.

We poll our guest experts to see whether the new iPad is really hot in ways other than record sales. Our guest list includes Avram Piltch, Online Editorial Director of Laptop magazine, who also discusses the seven deadly sins committed by wireless carriers and handset makers. John Martellaro, Senior Editor, Analysis & Reviews for The Mac Observer, talks about his decision to ditch his landline phone once and for all, and some of his observations about Tim Cook and his initial acts as Apple CEO. With veteran Mac author and troubleshooting expert Ted Landau, we'll cover the Mac press, and whether these journalists are getting just a little too cozy with Apple, along with the next OS X upgrade, Mountain Lion, and the improved integration of iOS features.

We focus once again on Apple's "new iPad" with that spectacular Retina Display, which is selling out around the world. We also cover the revised Apple TV, the prospects for an Apple "smart" TV, and Microsoft's potential troubles with Windows 8. Our guest list includes: Jim Dalrymple, Editor in Chief of The Loop, cutting-edge commentator Daniel Eran Dilger, of Roughly Drafted Magazine and AppleInsider, and Peter Cohen, from the "Angry Mac Bastards" radio show and Executive Editor for The Loop.

We cover "The new iPad," which some prefer to mention as the iPad 3. With Apple's media event, not to mention the introduction of a new Apple TV, and some fancy new apps, there's lots to talk about. Our guests include: Avram Piltch, Online Editorial Director of Laptop magazine, Adam Engst, from TidBITS and Take Control Books, and Ross Rubin, Executive Director and Principal Analyst, NPD Connected Intelligence for The NPD Group.

On this week's all-star episode, Gene presents Neil Ticktin, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of MacTech magazine, who discusses AT&T's data throttling problems, and the issues facing developers who want to get their apps into the Mac App Store. We explore radio's "Golden Age" with Greg Bell, host of Sirius/XM Satellite Radio's "Radio Classics" show, which presents many of your favorite radio dramas and comedies. We'll discuss the fascinating back stories, plus the technology used to restore these gems. Macworld's Dan Frakes is on board to talk about Apple's next media event, where the wraps will be taken off the next iPad, plus Apple's new Mac OS, Mountain Lion, due to ship by late summer.