The Tech Night Owl Live Tech Radio With A Twist!

Outspoken commentator and podcaster Peter Cohen talks with Gene about Apple's sudden decision to discontinue the iPod Nano and the iPod Shuffle, leaving the iPod touch as the only model left in a product lineup that debuted in 2001 and changed Apple's direction. There's a lengthy discussion about the announced decision of Foxconn — who builds iPhones and other Apple gadgets in China — to open up an LCD plant in Wisconsin. After previous failed promises, will this factory really come to be? The discussion moves to the endless speculation about an iPhone 8, as Peter explains that he's still happy with his iPhone 6. And what about the future of the Apple TV? Does it have unrealized potential? In a special encore appearance, you'll also hear from ethical hacker Dr. Timothy Summers, President of Summers & Company, a cyber strategy and organizational design consulting firm. Tim will offer a comprehensive look at the recent WannaCry ransomware attack that targeted hundreds of thousands of institutions and busin

Commentator Bryan Chaffin, co-founder and co-publisher of The Mac Observer, considers the Apple rumor front, where speculation continues about a rumored iPhone 8 and the alleged problems Apple might be having in finalizing the design for production. But are such reports made by or influenced by bloggers who have been inspired by Apple's competitors? What about the tepid updates for Apple TV? Has time passed Apple's set-top box by, or is it possible for the product to be improved enough to realize its potential against the competition? You'll also hear from tech columnist Joe Wilcox, who writes for BetaNews. This time Gene and Joe talk about Microsoft's sales in the most recent financial quarter, and how it is succeeding beyond expectations at cloud services and Office 365. But is there any significance in the fact that sales of Surface PCs remain relatively flat? You'll also hear Joe's observations about the iPhone 8 and whether its potential might overshadow the expected refreshes of Apple's mainstream mode

Columnist and blogger Kirk McElhearn talks with Gene about the future of technology books. Are printed computer books dead? What about sharply targeted eBooks that focus on the topics tech savvy people are interested in. What about magazines devoted to Apple? Is Apple now too mainstream to require separate publications?  The discussion also covers the end of the platform wars, and the hazards of running beta software on your computer. You'll also hear from Josh Centers, Managing Editor for TidBITS, and author of "Take Control of Apple TV" and other titles, who does this interview on his new 10.5-inch iPad Pro, using the mic  from Apple's AirPods wireless earphones. There's a long discussion about the value of the iPad as a productivity tool, as Josh explains why the apps he requires for his job are not all available on Apple's tablet. So he has to use his Mac instead, and Gene explains the problems he has in using an iPad for his work. Microsoft's move into PC hardware, the Surface, is also discussed. The in

On this week's all-star episode, ransomware is back in the news as the "Petya" ransomware attack affected 12,000 computers in 65 countries including the U.S. This time an infected software update seems to be to blame for the breach. So if you cannot even trust a software update any more, how are you supposed to keep your documents and computer safe from hackers?  You'll hear the answers from security expert Shaun Murphy, founder of sndr.com, about what to do to help prevent yourself from becoming a victim of a ransomware attack. Shaun will offer lots of information covering the world of cybersecurity. You'll also hear from tech journalist Derek Kessler, editor of TeslaCentral.com, as well as managing editor of Mobile Nations. Derek will tell you all about Elon Musk's Tesla, a line of electric cars that are having a major impact on the auto industry. Derek owns a Tesla Model S, and he'll tell you about the advantages, and disadvantages of driving an all-electric vehicle. What about the impact of cold weather

We present outspoken commentator and podcaster Peter Cohen. As part of an extensive agenda, Gene and Peter talk about self-driving technology, and what Apple might be planning. Gene will explain how air bags and seat belts helped save his life during a serious auto accident. What about the claims from Greenpeace, the environmental organization, about whether Apple is engaged in planned obsolescence by making its products difficult or impossible to upgrade? What about a survey that some 25% of Windows users in the U.S., who plan to buy new computers in the next six months, are going to choose Macs? You'll also hear from Jeff Gamet, Managing Editor for The Mac Observer. The discussion starts with a brief pop culture segment, as Gene mentions that Joel Hynek, the son of the late Dr. J. Allen Hynek, the well-known astronomer with a fascination for UFOs, is an Oscar-winning special effects artist. On the tech front, the discussion moves to whether self-driving technology will spread to car-sharing. Instead of buy

On this week's all-star episode, we present outspoken commentator and podcaster Kirk McElhearn, also known as Macworld's "iTunes Guy." During this episode, Gene will recount his frightening experience, when his car was totaled as a result of being struck at high speed by a truck. The discussion continues with Kirk's progress report on his home-built faux Mac clone, which is usually referred to as a Hackintosh. Was it all worth it, or is it better to buy a real Apple Macintosh and not put up with things that just won't work without lots of baby-sitting? You'll also hear Kirk's skeptical comments about whether he's interested in buying a new Mac, and about Apple's forthcoming speaker/digital assistant known as HomePod, which will ship later in 2017. You'll also hear from columnist Rob Pegoraro, who writes for USA Today, Yahoo Finance, Consumer Reports, Wirecutter and other publications. During this segment, Rob will recount his problems with a broken Google Nexus 5x, which succumbed to a known hardware defect,

We present long-time tech journalist and editor Adam Engst, of TidBITS. During this segment, Gene and Adam will have an extensive discussion about Apple's forthcoming professional Macs, the iMac Pro and the new Mac Pro. Is the iMac Pro, which will start at $4,999 when it debuts in December, overpriced compared to the competition? Will a decked out version cost as much as a compact car? You'll be surprised at the response. There will also be a discussion about whether Macs are good for hosting web sites, and about cloud solutions for hosting. During this segment, Gene will talk about his brief experience using a Mac mini to host all his sites. You'll also hear from prolific author Bob “Dr. Mac” LeVitus, who will talk about a variety of issues related to Apple, such as the Apple Watch and why he wouldn't mind a slightly thicker iPhone if it came with a battery that lasted longer. The discussion will also cover the newest Macs, whether Bob plans to buy one of those upgraded models, and what about the future of

We focus on one of the most important keynotes from Apple Inc. in recent years, at their 2017 Worldwide Developer's Conference (WWDC). During this event, new operating systems for the iPhone, the iPad, the Mac, the Apple TV and the Apple Watch were demonstrated. You'll hear about some of the important new features, such as how iOS 11 will make the iPad work more like a Mac in handling productivity apps. By far the most attention was focused on a slew of new hardware announcements. After a slowdown in Mac updates in 2016, Apple introduced updates for the MacBook Air, MacBook, and MacBook Pro notebooks. There were also updates for the iMac. Keeping the promise of an iMac with pro features was a demonstration of the forthcoming iMac Pro, a 27-inch all-in-one powerhouse sporting the guts of a computer workstation. You'll also hear about Apple's answer to the Amazon Echo, the HomePod, a $349 loudspeaker that is directed by Apple's digital assistant, Siri. Our guests include outspoken commentator John Martellaro,

On this week's all-star episode, we feature outspoken columnist/podcaster Kirk McElhearn, also known as Macworld's "iTunes Guy." This week Gene and Kirk talk briefly about the iTunes movie bundle sales, where you can buy 10 movies for $2 each, or individual movies for $5. Do those bundles provide top quality movies, or just a mixture of the good and the not-so-good? You'll also hear fearless predictions about what Apple may announce at the WWDC developer's conference. Will there be new Mac notebooks, a Siri speaker? What about a surprise product that nobody anticipated? Kirk also wonders why the pre-event chatter about what might be coming has been so light. A contrary opinion comes from tech journalist Bryan Chaffin, co-founder and co-publisher of The Mac Observer. Bryan feels a number of rumors have been published about Apple's plans ahead of the event, more than usual. Gene and Bryan cover the basics, such as the new operating systems, possible new notebook computers, a Siri speaker system. Is such a gadg

We feature outspoken commentator/podcaster Peter Cohen. During this segment, Gene will discuss his efforts to get decent support from AT&T wireless, which involved multiple phone calls, and frustrating encounters with more than 20 different reps. Did he finally succeed? Gene and Peter will also discuss the prospects for new Mac notebooks at Apple's 2017 WWDC developer event in June. And what about Apple's decision to deliver subpar gaming performance on the Mac? As a former Macworld gaming columnist, Peter explains what is going on, and what he believes to be Apple's reasons for not paying attention to the needs of avid gamers. You'll also hear from independent tech journalist Joe Wilcox, who writes for BetaNews. This wide-ranging discussion will include Joe's observations about the quality of the four major wireless carriers in the U.S., as he explains the surprising result of his efforts to switch from one company to another to get better download speeds. Were there any notable announcements at the 201

We feature commentator/podcaster Jeff Gamet, Managing Editor for The Mac Observer. Gene and Jeff do a pop culture segment, anticipating the movie version of "Wonder Woman," the introduction of General Zod on the "Supergirl" TV show, and other movie and TV-related topics. The tech segment will cover expectations for Mac notebook upgrades at the 2017 WWDC in June, whether actor Jeff Goldblum might have become the voice of Siri, the Microsoft Surface Laptop, and whether you can trust the cloud. You'll also hear from ethical hacker Dr. Timothy Summers, President of Summers & Company, a cyber strategy and organizational design consulting firm. Tim will offer a comprehensive look at the recent WannaCry ransomware attack that targeted hundreds of thousands of institutions and businesses around the world using Windows XP. This attack targeted a Windows flaw that has been patched by Microsoft. You'll also learn more about the ongoing prospects of bitcoin, the controversial digital currency that is still regarded

On this week's all-star episode, we feature tech columnist Rob Griffiths. Rob will introduce you to the fascinating world of the "Hackintosh," the process of installing macOS on a generic home-built PC. He made the decision to build one because Apple isn't selling the Mac of his dreams, which in this case means a personal computer capable of stellar gaming performance. He goes through the process of selecting the parts he needed for the project, assembling them, and consulting a number of online resources on how to "induce" macOS to install on these computers, along with the lengthy process of troubleshooting glitches and somehow making things run reliably. Rob will also discuss the types of computers he hopes Apple will build in the coming months now that the company has made a renewed commitment to the Mac platform. You'll also hear from outspoken columnist/podcaster Kirk McElhearn, also known as Macworld's "iTunes Guy." In his quest to replace his aging Mac mini, Kirk also opted to build a Hackintosh, and

On this week's all-star episode, we feature author/editor Josh Centers, Managing Editor for TidBITS, and author of "Take Control of Apple TV" and other titles. After discussing the 27th anniversary of TidBITS, Gene and Josh talk about the controversial moves from ride-sharing giant Uber and the prospects for its main rival, Lyft. Gene provides personal experiences with both, but will Uber's plans to add self-driving vehicles someday put their human drivers out of work? What about Apple's promised commitment to professional users, with assurances that a new Mac Pro is being developed, and that they will continue to improve Final Cut Pro X and Logic Pro X? In an encore presentation, you'll take a romp through the world of social networks with Cella Lao Rousseau, a reporter with iMore. During this segment, Cella will talk about the Snapchat IPO, its impact, and how the network plans to leverage its large user base to earn money. The discussion moves to profiles of the most popular social networks and how they m

We feature prolific author Joe Kissell, who will discuss the third edition of "Take Control of Your Online Privacy." You'll hear hints and tips on ongoing threats, including the fallout from the decision by the U.S. Congress, signed by the President, to allow ISPs to sell your online history to third-party providers. Are there ways to protect yourself against this and other invasions of your privacy? Joe will also discuss another of his books, "Are Your Bits Flipped? Overcoming Tech Misconceptions." He'll talk about a few common day-to-day mistakes some people make. You'll also hear a wide-ranging interview with prolific author Bob “Dr. Mac” LeVitus, who will discuss Apple's commitment to take heed of the needs of professional Mac users and build a new Mac Pro, offer an iMac with professional options, and perhaps a souped up Mac mini. In discussing the potential of self-driving vehicles, Bob mentions the safe driving features now available in many new cars, such as his Subaru Legacy. Bob will also talk about

We feature outspoken commentator and podcaster Kirk McElhearn, also known as Macworld's "iTunes Guy." Once again, Kirk expresses his ongoing concerns about Apple's lateness in admitting that the 2013 Mac Pro was a flawed design, and that they are working on something new, which will not be released this year. Kirk also explains why he's dissatisfied with current Mac designs, and is planning on building a customized macOS computer, a "Hackintosh," with off-the-shelf PC parts. You'll also hear from tech journalist Bryan Chaffin, co-founder and co-publisher of The Mac Observer. This week Bryan is in "cranky" mode and will explain why he's upset with Apple's lateness in announcing plans to update Macs. He'll discuss the form the promised "modular" Mac Pro might take, and about possible pro options for the iMac. In talking about the Samsung Galaxy S8 smartphone, Gene outlines the known flaws in the design of its fingerprint sensor, facial recognition and iris recognition features, and the decision not to launch t

On this week's all-star episode, we feature outspoken commentator John Martellaro, Senior Editor, Analysis & Reviews for The Mac Observer, who joins Gene in a fascinating discussion about Apple's promise of major updates for the Mac Pro and the iMac. And were there really seven reasons for Apple to discontinue the Mac Pro before they decided to move forward? What about the fate of the smallest iPad, the iPad mini, and have sales of that model been mostly cannibalized by such models as the iPhone 7 Plus? John also explains why you will be told what to think about Apple, and he will list the "very cool things" he loves about his Apple Watch. You'll also hear from columnist Rob Pegoraro, who writes for Yahoo Tech, USA Today and Wirecutter. He'll discuss expectations about the next Mac Pro, the next iMac and maybe even a forthcoming Mac mini refresh. And why is Rob thinking about replacing his aging MacBook Air with a Windows notebook? The discussion moves to Comcast's new wireless phone service and why it

We feature the inimitable Peter Cohen, long-time blogger and podcaster. Peter will discuss the latest developments on the security front and how reports of hacked iCloud accounts might impact Apple. You'll also hear about a consumer's "right to repair," the subject of pending legislation in Nebraska, which would force such companies as Apple to sell parts and repair manuals to anyone who wants to buy them. Peter will also explain the ins and outs of the Apple File System (APFS), recently introduced in the iOS 10.3 update, and expected to arrive this fall as standard issue on the next macOS. If you're wondering what this is all about, Peter will explain how Apple customers will benefit from a more reliable storage system and improved security. You'll also hear from ethical hacker Dr. Timothy Summers, President of Summers & Company, a cyber strategy and organizational design consulting firm, who will talk about the recent public disclosure of CIA "trade craft," the methods they use to recover data from tec

We feature outspoken blogger and podcaster Kirk McElhearn, also known as Macworld's "iTunes Guy." Gene and Kirk briefly discuss the probe by French authorities into alleged emission faking by more and more car makers, the latest being Mercedes-Benz. Kirk describes the new features in iTunes 12.6 for Mac and Windows and some of the glitches he's discovered that Apple needs to fix. The discussion moves to the modest March iPad refresh from Apple, and what might come next. There's a brief debate between Gene and Kirk about the potential for the iPad as a productivity device. Gene says it could be better, while Kirk believes that power users should stick with their Macs. You'll also hear from columnist Jeff Gamet, Managing Editor for The Mac Observer. During a pop culture segment, Gene and Jeff discuss "Duets," the musical episode of a TV super hero show, "The Flash." Jeff makes a pitch for Apple users changing their passwords in light of recent hacking attempts, and he briefly describes 2-factor authentication.

On this week's all-star episode, we feature the one and only CrackBerry Kevin (Kevin Michaluk), who was in the process of traveling throughout the U.S. and Canada hosting KeyOne meet-ups for diehard BlackBerry fans. The KeyOne is a long-awaited traditional BlackBerry smartphone with physical keys that runs the Android OS. Kevin will also present a detailed history of the BlackBerry, and where the original executive team went wrong in attempting to compete with the threat of the Apple iPhone. It's a fascinating story of what might have been. You'll also hear from active author Joe Kissell, who will discuss one of his recent books, "Take Control of Your Digital Legacy." The will be a far-ranging discussion that starts with physical belongings that can be converted to digital format, including floppy disks, vinyl and tape media and photos. There will also be a lengthy discussion on preparing a digital will, and which assets can be transferred to your heirs. What about the music and movies you bought from iTune

We feature outspoken columnist and podcaster Kirk McElhearn, also known as Macworld's "iTunes Guy." Kirk discusses his recent purchase of an 8TB backup drive to accommodate his large music library. After a brief discussion of the recent Wikipedia leaks of alleged CIA efforts to hack tech gear, including smartphones and cars, Kirk makes yet another criticism of what he regards as the failure of Apple to address the needs of professional users. He explains his ongoing skepticism about Apple CEO Tim Cook's promises this customer base. The discussion moves to Apple's opposition to the right-to-repair bill being debated in Nebraska, which would require that parts and repair manuals be made available to non-authorized dealers. You'll also hear from commentator Bryan Chaffin, co-founder and co-publisher of The Mac Observer. Bryan is also outspoken about his concerns about Apple's commitment to the needs of professional users, that the Mac Pro was first launched in mid-2013 and has yet to be updated, yet sells for t