The Tech Night Owl Live Tech Radio With A Twist!

We feature outspoken columnist and podcaster Kirk McElhearn, also known as Macworld's "iTunes Guy." During this episode, Kirk, a resident of the UK, discusses his decision to lease a 2017 Toyota Yaris Hybrid subcompact car, and moves on to the Tesla and the potential for self-driving technology. You'll also hear why he is skeptical of Apple CEO Tim Cook's hint, during the corporate shareholder's meeting, that the company would address the needs of professional users with new Macs and creative users with Mac apps. Will there actually be a revised Mac Pro that is a more credible alternative as a computer workstation? You'll also 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 meet the needs of their members. Snapchat's unique slant is to a

On this week's all-star episode, we feature prolific author and commentator Bob “Dr. Mac” LeVitus, who talks about his first self-published book, "Working Smart for Mac Users." He'll discuss how he overcame his Adult ADD disorder to organize his time and become more productive as a freelance writer. He'll also explain how he began as a hunt and peck typist to become reasonably fast on the keyboard. Does he type as fast as Gene, and does it even matter? And does he intend to review the Late 2016 MacBook Pro or does he have other products to cover? You'll also hear from commentator Jeff Gamet, Managing Editor for The Mac Observer. His bill of fare this time includes a brief pop culture discussion, and then he moves to the Mac Pro and whether it makes sense for Apple to upgrade a product that has been sold unchanged since 2013. Gene brings up his dream or mythical iMac Pro configuration with a more powerful processor and two internal drives. And what about AMD's new Ryzen processor family, which they claim is f

We feature Adam Engst, of TidBITS and Take Control Books. The main focus will be on Apple's decision to discontinue displays, and the deal that resulted in the development of the troubled LG UltraFine 5K Display, which was announced along with new MacBook Pros. What went wrong, and why did some units fail when in close proximity to a Wi-Fi router? Adam will also discuss the possibilities for future upgrades to Mac desktop computers, and the rumored use of ARM processors to manage more Mac functions. What about replacing Intel processors with Apple's A-series silicon? You'll also hear from Adam's colleague, Josh Centers, Managing Editor for TidBITS, and author of "Take Control of Apple TV" and other titles. There will be a complete discussion of the hopes and dreams for the Apple TV, and how Apple has failed, so far, in its plans to conquer the living room. What about attempts to forge content deals with the TV networks? When does Apple TV support 4K and HDR, and where is the rest of the industry going? Can A

We feature outspoken commentator Peter Cohen. During this segment, Peter will go into detail on the value of the Apple Watch, primarily for fitness, and its other potential benefits. What about the iPad? Is there a way for Apple to persuade more people to buy them? Gene explains why the iPad doesn't suit his workflow. There's also a long discussion about Apple's use of an ARM processor and watchOS-style OS to power the Touch Bar on the new MacBook Pro, and the possibilities that Apple might be gradually moving the Mac away from Intel to ARM. You'll also hear from columnist Derek Kessler, managing editor of Mobile Nations, a web portal that runs several popular tech sites.. In advance of the 2017 Mobile World Congress on Barcelona, Spain, Derek will look over some of the possible product announcements there. What about smartwatches? Does Apple have a clear field with the Apple Watch in light of the soft sales reported by Fitbit and the Samsung Galaxy Gear? How about the smartphone market? Are there compelling

On this week's all-star episode, we feature commentator John Martellaro, Senior Editor, Analysis & Reviews for The Mac Observer. During this session, John will talk with Gene about the possibilities of running macOS apps on iPads, whether Apple is moving more and more functionality on Macs to ARM, and whether a total processor switch is in the offing. The discussion will also cover Tim Cook's statement that iPhone tech has plenty of room to grow, possible reasons for falling iPad sales, the possibility that the Apple Watch may become a BioMed lab, and what went wrong with the fourth generation Apple TV. You'll also hear from outspoken columnist and podcaster Kirk McElhearn, also known as Macworld's "iTunes Guy." Kirk will also talk about the prospects for moving the Mac to Apple's ARM-based A-series processors and the reasons for falling iPad sales. Can Apple find a new direction to boost sales for its tablets? The discussion will also include the varying opinions of Gene and Kirk about the value of trac

On this week's all-star episode, we feature writer Steve Guttenberg, CNET's "Audiophiliac." Steve covers the home audio beat, and on this episode he'll focus on such things as the death of FM radio in Norway, whether it's on the endangered species list in the U.S., and what about HD radio, a digital add-on for AM and FM that delivers enhanced sound? Have broadcasters and audio equipment makers done enough to make you realize this technology — which comes on many new cars — even exists? Indeed, do people really listen to music anymore? Gene and Steve will also discuss the so-called vinyl resurgence, as Steve suggests a cheap way for you to begin to hear records again. You'll also hear from "cranky" commentator Bryan Chaffin, co-founder and co-publisher of The Mac Observer. And why is Bryan in "cranky" mode? He is concerned over the relative lack of new products from Apple in 2016, specifically the Mac platform, where only two models, the MacBook and the MacBook Pro, received refreshes. Bryan will also express

We feature outspoken commentator and podcaster Kirk McElhearn, also known as Macworld's "iTunes Guy," After Gene discusses a curious virus-style documents he was receiving from his Brother laser printer — and his solution — Kirk explains why he is bullish on Apple, despite the problems he has with recent products. Kirk continues to complain about Apple's inability to ship products on time, using the MacBook Pro and the AirPods as recent examples. You'll also hear from author Bob “Dr. Mac” LeVitus, who joins Gene in reminiscing about Apple's past, in the mid-1990s, when they actually licensed the Mac OS to such companies as Power Computing, who then produced low-cost clones. The discussion moves to Consumer Reports' controversial tests of the Late 2016 MacBook Pro. At first, due to inconsistent battery life ratings, CR refused to recommend the new notebooks. Once they worked with Apple to trace the problem, where their peculiar testing scheme activated an obscure Safari bug, the rating was changed to recommen

We feature Jeff Gamet, Managing Editor for The Mac Observer. In addition to a brief pop culture segment where Gene schools Jeff on the correct pronunciation of the wacky DC Comics character, "Mister Mxyzptlk," the discussion focuses on the MacBook Pro and the controversy over the battery tests from Consumer Reports, in which Apple's notebooks were at first not recommended until retested. And what about all the great gadgets introduced at the CES in Las Vegas? According to Jeff, there were more products that appeared to be ready to sell, rather than to show off an idea that may never make it into production. You'll also hear from Russell Holly, managing editor of VRHeads. After a brief focus on smartphone sales, and whether the market can continue to grow quickly, the discussion moves to the upcoming Nintendo Switch gaming console. Nintendo is trying to get a leg up on the competition from Microsoft and Sony by including a small embedded tablet that can be used for gameplay on the road. You'll also hear about

We feature tech journalist Josh Centers, Managing Editor for TidBITS, and author of "Take Control of Apple TV" and other titles. The discussion begins with Gene's strange story of the problems he encountered installing macOS Sierra on a 2010 17-inch MacBook Pro. The segment moves on to reports that Apple is giving the Mac short shrift, and whether such stories have any credibility. Josh brings up the question of whether innovation in the tech industry began to slow down after the death of Steve Jobs in 2011. Or is that just the way the industry was destined to evolve? You'll also hear from independent tech journalist Joe Wilcox, who writes for BetaNews. He'll tell the curious tale of the two Late 2016 MacBook Pros that he owns, and the battery life issues he has confronted on both. Yet when he gave one of those notebooks, the 13-inch model, to his wife and reconfigured it with her apps and settings, battery life was normal. What about the erratic battery life tests reported by Consumer Reports magazine, whic

On this week’s all-star episode, we feature noted industry analyst Stephen Baker, Vice President for Industry Analysis at the NPD Group. He begins the conversation discussing the success of 4K (Ultra HD) TV sets during the holiday quarter. What about the advanced picture technologies, such as HDR, and what about the dearth of 4K content? The discussion will also focus on whether Samsung was hurt at all, in holiday sales, by the exploding batteries scandal that forced the company to discontinue the Galaxy Note 7 phablet. You’ll also hear some positive news about Mac sales for the holiday quarter despite the controversy over the Late 2016 MacBook Pro. You’ll also hear from Derek Kessler, managing editor of Mobile Nations, a web portal that runs several popular tech sites. The discussion begins with the success of 4K TVs, and whether or not Samsung customers were dissuaded by the failure of the Galaxy Note 7. There will also be a preview of the expected hot ticket items at the 2017 CES in Las Vegas, which inclu

Outspoken columnist and podcaster Kirk McElhearn, also known as Macworld's "iTunes Guy," returns to talk about a variety of tech issues. A discussion about the future of diesel cars in the wake of Volkswagen's emissions scandal turns to autonomous driving, as Gene wonders when he'll be too old to drive for himself. From there the discussion veers to the use of robots in fast food restaurants and supermarkets before it settles on Apple's late-shipping AirPods. These wireless in-ear headphones have become as controversial as Apple's MacBook Pro. Kirk provides a first take, describing the setup process and his impressions of their sound quality. You'll also hear from ethical hacker Dr. Timothy Summers, President of Summers & Company, a cyber strategy and organizational design consulting firm, on a wide range of subjects. He'll start with extensive background information on the presumed Russian hack of the DNC and Democratic politicians. How was it determined that the Russians were responsible, and not the C

We feature columnist and podcaster Kirk McElhearn, also known as Macworld's "iTunes Guy." During this session, Kirk remains in"rant mode," as he discusses the ongoing controversy over the battery life of the Late 2016 MacBook Pro, and why Apple chose to remove the "time remaining" display in the macOS Sierra 10.12.2 update. Kirk also explains why he's keeping his Macs longer than ever nowadays before selling them off. The discussion covers Amazon's first attempts to deliver merchandise to customers via drones. You'll also hear from commentator Bryan Chaffin, co-founder and co-publisher of The Mac Observer, who is in "cranky mode" this time out. He is concerned over the fact that Apple, despite all its resources, appears to be delivering fewer and fewer new products, far less in 2016 than in 2015. And what about the new MacBook Pro. Does it truly deserve the "pro" label? Bryan wonders whether Apple's chief designer, Sir Jonathan Ive, needs an "editor" to help eliminate some of the excesses in his designs, su

We feature long-time author Bob “Dr. Mac” LeVitus, who focuses the conversation to some degree on the controversial Late 2016 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar. He also mentions a few of his favorite gadgets for the holiday season. But perhaps the most interesting part of the discussion is when Gene and Bob speak of the time they almost met a member of the Beatles. There's also a short discussion about the reported resurgence of vinyl records, and Gene's curious problem with his AT&T wireless account, where voices on the other end of the connection sounded as if they had slowed down to half speed. You'll also hear from commentator Jeff Gamet, Managing Editor for The Mac Observer. The interview begins with a semi-technical discussion of time travel, based on the concepts from sci-fi and comic books. So what might happen if one travels back through time, and makes a very minor change that can foul up the timeline in the future? The discussion moves to several topics, including the MacBook Pro with Touch Bar. Is A

We feature commentator John Martellaro, Senior Editor, Analysis & Reviews for The Mac Observer. His bill of fare includes the "tribal warfare" that often surrounds the Apple ecosystem, the difficulties in "extracting truth" from Apple, along with how the company has been blindsided by such products as the Microsoft Surface Stereo all-in-one desktop and HP's Z2 Mini Workstation; the latter is designed to compete as a higher-end alternative to the Mac mini. John will also focus on Apple's mistakes in releasing a fourth-generation Apple TV set-top box without such key features as 4K and HDR support, coming at a time when 4K TVs are really taking off. You'll also hear from outspoken columnist and podcaster Kirk McElhearn, also known as Macworld's "iTunes Guy." Gene and Kirk begin the discussion covering the so-called resurgence of vinyl, and Gene's personal experiences listening to some of the most famous recordings on the cheap record player his parents bought him. The two also provide a no-nonsense look at

We feature outspoken blogger and podcaster Peter Cohen, who focuses on the questions raised about Apple's ongoing commitment to professional users. And what about published reports, since denied, that chief designer Sir Jonathan Ive may no longer be fully involved in developing new Apple gear? The discussion also includes ousting the manager of the automation division, home of AppleScript, Apple's decision to give up building its own displays, and the ever-controversial Late 2016 MacBook Pro, which features the contextual Touch Bar and a much higher price. You'll also hear from columnist Joe Wilcox, of BetaNews, who will explain why he prefers his new iPhone 7 Plus despite the fact that he finds some of Google's services, such as its voice assistant, to be superior. What should Apple be thankful for during the holiday season? Joe offers his opinions about his 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bear, and also the impact of Google's Chromebook in American school systems, and whether its cheap price and focus on cl

We feature Kyle Wiens of iFixit, a company that routinely tears down new tech gear to check for repairability. During this segment, Kyle brings up the recent report of the recall of 2.8 million Samsung washing machines due to a serious defect which can hurt people. He suggests that the quality of such appliances is far lower than it used to be. He will bring you up to date on recent gear his crew has taken apart, including the iPhone 7, the MacBook Pro with and without Touch Bar, the flawed Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phablet, which had an unusual number of battery failures, and the Pixel, Phone by Google. He'll explain why iFixit has awarded Apple's refreshed notebook one of its lowest ratings because it's near impossible to repair. You'll also hear columnist and podcaster Kirk McElhearn, also known as Macworld's "iTunes Guy." Kirk expresses his concerns about the future of AppleScript in light of Apple's decision to fire long-time automation executive Sal Soghoian for "business reasons." Does this mean that Appl

We feature ethical hacker Dr. Timothy Summers, President of Summers & Company, a cyber strategy and organizational design consulting firm, who discuses the recent DDoS attack on DynDNS, which resulted in the slowdown or loss of access to such large sites as Netflix and PayPal. According to Dr. Summers, this attack came from botnets that were assembled by hacking home devices that connect to the Internet, such as web cams, and he provided advice on how you can protect your gear so it resists such attacks. He also talked about what changes might come when Donald Trump becomes President of the United States. Will he attempt to reverse the spin-off of ICANN, the non-profit corporation that manages Internet names? What about net neutrality and other FCC actions? Dr. Summers also speculates about three potential cyber threats. You'll also hear from editor Sean Aune, director of operations for TechnoBuffalo, an online blog and gadget review site. He'll talk about Internet bandwidth caps, the hot tickets for hol

Featured on this episode is Josh Centers, Managing Editor for TidBITS, and author of "Take Control of Apple TV" and other titles. Josh talks extensively about the controversial MacBook Pro, and its tentpole features, including the Touch Bar and Touch ID. Did Apple overprice this new computer? What about Apple's desktop Macs that haven't been upgraded in quite a while? Gene suggests a potential replacement for the Mac Pro, a souped up iMac with eight-core processor and dual SSDs. You'll also hear about the forthcoming TV app for Apple TV and iOS. He'll focus on the missing services, including Amazon Instant Video and Netflix, and move on to the proposed merger between AT&T and Time Warner. You'll also hear from Bryan Chaffin, co-founder and co-publisher of The Mac Observer. Brian will also talk extensively about the MacBook Pro, the Touch Bar, and whether prices might come down after the first year, similar to other Macs in recent years. What about the future of the Mac Pro? Does Apple give it a decent bu

Featured on this episode is columnist and podcaster Kirk McElhearn, also known as Macworld's "iTunes Guy." Gene and Kirk dissect the good, bad and ugly points in Apple's media presentation where the main focus was to introduce a new MacBook Pro line. But what about the tentpole feature of the refreshed notebooks, the Touch Bar. Does it offer enough advanced features, as a context sensitive OLED-based control strip, to justify price increase of between $300-$400? More to the point, does Kirk plan to buy one? And what about the missing hardware, such as the three-year-old Mac Pro? It's still available from Apple, but does it have a future? You'll also hear from tech editor Sean Aune, director of operations for TechnoBuffalo, an online blog and gadget review site. He starts the discussion with his observations about the new hardware from Microsoft, introduced the day before Apple's event, where costly Surface Books and the Studio all-in-one computer were introduced. Did Microsoft take the wrong approach to actu

Featured on this episode is columnist Rob Pegoraro, who writes for USA Today, Yahoo Tech and Wirecutter. He'll discuss what's expected from Apple's October 27, 2016 media event, rumored to focus on new Macs, and what might come from it. He'll also offer his personal experiences with macOS Sierra, cybersecurity and the recent hack of Democratic emails, posted in WikiLeaks, which has become a campaign issue, and tech policy and the election. Rob will also talk about the Pixel, Phone by Google, and its prospects. You'll also hear from Jeff Gamet, Managing Editor for The Mac Observer. He'll join Gene in a brief pop culture discussion, comparing the two visions of DC Comics, and whether the more optimistic TV version is a better fit for super hero fans than the dour movie version. The discussion will move to the prospects for the Apple Car, and whether the focus will be on creating a new car or offering a turnkey solution for autonomous driving to be licensed to car makers. Jeff will also talk about the prospect