The Tech Night Owl Live Tech Radio With A Twist!

Featured on this episode is outspoken blogger and podcaster Peter Cohen. This week, Peter talks about Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 scandal, in which the product was discontinued because over 100 handsets overheated or caught fire. How is Samsung handling the controversy, and how will Apple deal with the fallout? The discussion also focuses on falling Mac sales and whether the dearth of new models is at least partly responsible. And what about the Pixel, Phone by Google smartphone? How will Google's Android partners react to the competition? You'll also hear a comprehensive security update from ethical hacker Dr. Timothy Summers, President of Summers & Company, a cyber strategy and organizational design consulting firm. This week, Dr. Summers talks about the reports that the Russians are responsible for the recent hacks of Democratic emails and Twitter accounts. Can we believe the WikiLeaks disclosure of this material, or has it been altered? Is this the beginning of a possible Cybersecurity Cold War? How will

You'll also hear from blogger and podcaster Kirk McElhearn, also known as Macworld's "iTunes Guy." Kirk will detail the problems he confronted trying to set up Apple's two-factor authentication scheme on his devices, and the inability of Apple's tech support to help him. He'll also discuss iCloud growth pains and respond to Gene's query as to whether it would make sense for Apple to add online support for Time Machine and other backup systems. Kirk also discusses the Pixel, Phone by Google smartphone, Google WiFi and other products. The discussion concludes with the disconnect between regular users and tech savvy users, using Apple's decision to make macOS Sierra an automatic download to customers as a notable example.

Featured on this episode is commentator Bryan Chaffin, co-founder and co-publisher of The Mac Observer. The discussion begins with his experiences as owner of an Apple Watch Series 2. Is it something one comes to love, or simply like a little more than the original Apple Watch? The discussion also focuses on the iPhone 7, and Samsung's battery defects on the Galaxy Note 7. And what is Google doing that has allowed Chromebooks to soar in popularity at U.S. schools? Is it all about price? If so, how can Apple possibly compete? The discussion also briefly covers the latest scuttlebutt about the Apple Car. You'll also hear from one of our most popular guests over the years, Joe Kissell, author of over 60 books on technology, including 'Take Control of Upgrading to Sierra." You'll learn about the best features of the new macOS. The discussion will also cover Time Machine backups, and its limitations, and Apple's new APFS file system, first introduced in development form in Sierra, which is expected to be ready fo

We present blogger and podcaster Kirk McElhearn, also known as Macworld's "iTunes Guy." He'll talk about his strange problems moving from the beta channel of iOS 10 to the release version, outline the interface changes that are meant to simplify Apple Music, and briefly comment about a decision by the U.S. Senate to spend a mere $19.5 million on plans for Mars exploration and a new spaceship design. The discussion moves to computer speakers, as Gene talks about his quest to find a system that won't blow the circuit breaker for his office when he's listening to music and also printing a document on his laser printer. You'll also hear from commentator Jeff Gamet, Managing Editor for The Mac Observer. He'll also talk about Gene's quest for new computer speakers, Apple's application to patent an exclusive design for a — paper bag, Apple's alleged attempt to discourage customers from buying music with Apple Music, new developments in AI technology at Apple, and the latest scuttlebutt about alleged plans for an Ap

We present Josh Centers, Managing Editor for TidBITS, and author of "Take Control of Apple TV" and other titles. The topics include speculation about iPhone 7 sales in light of reports of heavy preorders and sellouts, particularly for the iPhone 7 Plus. As author of "iOS 10: A Take Control Crash Course," Josh details some of the best features of the new OS, and discusses the download glitch that, for an hour, gave Apple customers a defective version that bricked some devices until they could be restored, usually via iTunes. You'll also hear from tech editor Sean Aune, director of operations for TechnoBuffalo, an online blog and gadget review site. Gene begins the discussion with his tale of woe about a Brother HL-5450DN printer that keeps tripping the circuit breaker in his home office, and surprising solution from the manufacturer. Gene and Sean go back and forth about Apple's "courageous" decision to remove the headphone jack on the iPhone 7, the possible reasons and the impact to customers. Sean will also

On this week's all-star episode, we present columnist and podcaster Kirk McElhearn, also known as Macworld's "iTunes Guy." In pointed remarks, Kirk explains why he's not terribly impressed with Apple's explanation for ditching the headphone jack, nor, for that matter, with the iPhone 7, which he doesn't regard as a significant improvement over previous models. In response to Gene's remark about the headphone jack being a notorious source of unreliability, Kirk brings up problems with frayed Lightning cables. There's also a brief discussion about the failure of the paperless revolution. You'll also hear from prolific author and commentator Bob “Dr. Mac” LeVitus, who works with Gene in setting up the Golden Master version of macOS Sierra, which was released on September 8th to public beta testers. Gene briefly toys with the Mac version of Siri, not his favorite feature, before the discussion moves to the iPhone 7. Contrary to Kirk's reaction, Bob explains why he's impressed with the new features, particularly

We present tech journalist Sean Aune, director of operations for TechnoBuffalo, an online blog and gadget review site. He'll focus mainly on what's expected from Apple during the September 7th media event in San Francisco. The predictions mainly cover an iPhone 7, but Sean will also discuss the possibilities for introducing an Apple Watch 2, and Apple's skirmish with the European Commission over a $14.5 billion tax bill. You'll also hear from security expert and ethical hacker Dr. Timothy Summers, President of Summers & Company, a cyber strategy and organizational design consulting firm, who will discuss the latest hacks impacting the Democratic National Committee and other Democratic facilities. Are the hackers strictly focusing on one political party? And what about those recent security fixes from Apple? The final half of the show will feature John Martellaro, Senior Editor, Analysis & Reviews for The Mac Observer. His bill of fare includes such topics as "Blood in the Macintosh Water," why "Ther

We present columnist and podcaster Kirk McElhearn, also known as Macworld's "iTunes Guy." During this session, Gene will tell Kirk about the free Internet service he's received and how its speed and reliability compare to the service you have to pay for. Kirk will discuss his article on the iPhone's schizophrenic store numbers, where you get different figures on how much space you have available on your device. He'll also talk about mastering and remastering techniques for music recordings. You'll also hear from commentator Bryan Chaffin, co-founder and co-publisher of The Mac Observer. Bryan will talk about the information leaks from the supply chain and what they might tell you about forthcoming Apple gear, whether there is reason to freak out over reports Apple plans to ditch the headphone jack on the next iPhone, incremental improvements in battery technology, his concerns over the lack of a Mac Pro refresh since 2013, and possible Apple products in the future and how they might be even more significant

We present commentator and columnist Rob Pegoraro, who writes for USA Today, Yahoo Tech and Wirecutter, who discusses, at length, the new wireless data plans from AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile, and why "unlimited" data plans are actually not quite "unlimited." He'll also talk about the issues involved with municipal broadband, why "everybody is getting hacked," and the Microsoft's Windows 10 Anniversary Update. Now that it's no longer free, is it worth the upgrade price? What about Microsoft's shady efforts to force people to upgrade when it was available at no cost to customers? You'll also hear from Jeff Gamet, Managing Editor for The Mac Observer. In a special pop culture segment, Gene and Jeff will discuss the plans for a musical episode of two of The CW's super hero shows, "Supergirl" and "The Flash." Jeff will continue to express his concerns about the different DC Comics "universes" on TV and the movies. This is where there are different actors playing such characters as Superman and The Flash. Jeff w

On this week's all-star episode, we present outspoken commentator Peter Cohen for a return visit. In a wide-ranging discussion, Peter discusses the possible reasons why there has been only one Mac update this year. Is it possible Apple is planning major refreshes for the MacBook Pro and other models come fall? How has the iPhone SE, the smallest model, influenced sales? He'll also briefly discuss Apple's new bounty policy, announced at the Black Hat USA 2016 conference, to offer up to $200,000 to those who discover serious security leaks in Apple products. Ongoing rumors about an Apple Car are also discussed, along with the possibility that it may actually be about self-driving technology and not a new car. You'll also hear from commentator and author Josh Centers, Managing Editor for TidBITS, and author of "Take Control of Apple TV" and other titles. He'll discuss the Apple TV, and the efforts by Apple and other companies to provide cord-cutting alternatives to cable and satellite TV. What about the decisio

You'll also hear from Sean Aune, director of operations for TechnoBuffalo, an online blog and gadget review site, who will also talk at length about the lack of Mac updates. Is it about Intel's chips, new designs, the fall arrival of macOS Sierra? Or has Apple necome less interested in keeping the Mac up to date? Sean will also give positive reviews on his experiences with a pair of Chromebooks. He'll also talk about their growing presence in school systems in the U.S. You'll also hear advice on what to do if one of your accounts, bank, credit card or services, is hacked, as Sean recounts the occasion when someone from the UK hacked his Netflix account and was watching movies and TV shows day and night.

We feature Jeff Gamet, Managing Editor for The Mac Observer. The discussion begins with a pop culture session, covering the latest super hero shows, the selection of a new actor to play Superman on TV, and the curious differences between DC Comics TV shows and movies, which exist in what appear to be separate universes. Moving on to the tech world, Gene and Jeff talk about the recent appointment of Bob Mansfield to lead Apple's Project Titan, which reportedly is focusing on autonomous driving and a potential Apple Car. There's also a discussion of Apple's financials and the possibility that Apple is slowly starting to rise again from the doldrums. You'll also hear from ethical hacker Dr. Timothy Summers, President of Summers & Company, a cyber strategy and organizational design consulting firm, who will focus the main part of his discussion on the recent hacks of Democratic National Committee (DNC) emails, and how hackers might conspire to influence the U.S. election for President. Is there an object les

We feature columnist and author Josh Centers, Managing Editor for TidBITS, and author of "Take Control of Apple TV" and other titles. During this session, Josh dips into the status of Apple Pay and compares it with Walmart Pay. And what happened to the Apple Pay rival, CurrentC, which Walmart and other vendors had been testing? You'll also hear Josh's reaction to the iOS 10 beta, and what he regards as the best features. Both iOS 10 and macOS Sierra are being made available as public betas for download by Apple customers. You'll also hear from commentator Bryan Chaffin, co-founder and co-publisher of The Mac Observer. He'll focus on a report that scientists are attempting to use a 3D printer to match the fingerprints of a deceased person in order to open a protected smartphone. It's not stated whether this is an iPhone, which sets a 48-hour limit for fingerprint access before requiring a passcode. Bryan will also talk about rumors that Apple is ditching the old fashioned headphone jack on the next iPhone in

We feature columnist, podcaster and show regular Kirk McElhearn, also known as Macworld's "iTunes Guy." Before getting to the meat of the discussion, Gene and Kirk discuss their choices for Internet service. Essentially, Kirk has one hookup to his UK home, though he can use different providers, but it offers slow uploads. Gene explains why, as a cost-cutting move, he switched providers and what level of performance he receives. The discussion moves to Kirk's snap decision to buy an entry-level Lenovo Chromebook during Amazon Prime day for 99 pounds UK, and his surprising reaction upon being exposed to Google's web-based PC platform. You'll also hear from columnist Rob Pegoraro, who writes for USA Today, Yahoo Tech and Wirecutter. With reports of slowing Mac sales, Rob presents his concerns over the lack of significant Mac hardware upgrades in 2016, except for a refreshed MacBook. The discussion moves to politically incorrectness. Rob discusses an open letter from some technology executives that opposed Donal

We feature columnist John Martellaro, Senior Editor, Analysis & Reviews for The Mac Observer. During this interview, he'll explain why people who feel the iPhone is just a cute phone with Internet access are wrong, with the focus on the fancy new Messages app for the next versions of iOS and macOS, why he plans to buy the iPhone 7, the possible reasons Apple killed the Thunderbolt display and the fate of the Mac Pro, and the new file system Apple plans to introduce on all their devices some time in 2017. You'll also hear from columnist, podcaster and show regular Kirk McElhearn, also known as Macworld's "iTunes Guy." Before getting to the meat of the discussion, he'll tell you how he helped out with props for a skit during an episode of "Saturday Night Live" back in the 1970s. The discussion will move to Gene's ongoing odyssey with an office chair that keeps breaking apart before talking about the public betas of macOS Sierra and iOS 10. Kirk will offer what he feels are some of the best things about the

We feature columnist and podcaster Kirk McElhearn, also known as Macworld's "iTunes Guy." Topics will include the rumors that Apple will ditch a proper headphone jack on the next iPhone. Is this true, or just another tall tale, and why would Apple make such a move. The discussion also includes Gene's troubling odyssey in updating his Logitech Harmony universal remote to recognize new devices, which came to a dead halt because of a conflict with OS X El Capitan. We offer the workaround, and there will also be a brief discussion on "Internet of Things" home automation. You'll also hear from prolific author and commentator Bob “Dr. Mac” LeVitus, who will offer his skeptical viewpoint about Apple's rumored move to set aside headphone jacks on future iPhones. The discussion will move to Apple's "head fake" policy, where they will deny or deride a product, only to come up with their own version a short time later. Bob will also give his reaction to the news that Siri is making its debut on Macintosh computers star

You'll also hear from Bryan Chaffin, co-founder and co-publisher of The Mac Observer. The bill of fare this week includes possible changes in Macs over the next few years, and some talk about the future of the platform. Will there come a time in our lifetimes where Macs have been completely replaced by something new and better? Bryan will also discuss the controversy over rumors that Apple plans to ditch the headphone jacks on the next iPhone, presumably the iPhone 7, and rely on the Lightning port for such connections. He'll explain why it's not going to be bad news if it happens. He'll also talk about watchOS 3, and whether the forthcoming update for the Apple Watch will allow people who merely like the device to learn to love it.

The Night Owl and his guest panel take a long look at the Apple's announcements at the annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). It starts with our fearless prognostications as to what Apple would announce. How close were they and those of the guests on the June 11, 2016 episode? On addition to the debut of Siri on macOS Sierra, you'll learn about the other key features, such as the Universal Clipboard, Optimize Storage and the ability to share a Mac's Desktop and Documents folders. How do they impact iCloud, and can your ISP cope with the higher bandwidth demands? You'll also learn about the new, fancier Messages app for Mac and iOS, and all its special effects, along with the other changes for iOS 10, watchOS 3 and tvOS 10. So does the new OS for Apple Watch finally resolve all the performance and usability problems that have evidently held the gadget back? Our guests include author Josh Centers, Managing Editor for TidBITS, and author of "Take Control of Apple TV" and other titles, and outspoken comm

We focus almost entirely on Apple's WWDC, coming the week of June 13. The most significant predictions will be highlighted, including the possibility that the Mac operating system will be renamed "macOS" to conform to the style of the other operating systems, such as iOS. You'll also hear about the possibilities that a souped-up version of Apple's virtual assistant, Siri, will be launched along with its initial appearance on the Mac. What about updates for iOS, watch OS and tvOS? Is there room for Apple to introduce new hardware at what is usually a software-related event for developers? Note: We fully expect that some of this material may be outdated after the WWDC keynote, but it'll be a fascinating episode regardless due to all the fascinating background information. Our guests include columnist Jonny Evans, Computerworld's "Apple Holic," and Sean Aune, director of operations for TechnoBuffalo, an online blog and gadget review site. Jonny will also discuss the sudden departure of Tony Fadell, the "father"

On this week's all-star episode, columnist and podcaster Kirk McElhearn, also known as Macworld's "iTunes Guy," joins Gene to engage in speculation about the possible new product announcements at Apple's WWDC. In talking about possible enhancements to Siri, Kirk will explain why it hasn't been terribly successful for him. We'll also cover the possible future of the Mac Pro, which hasn't been updated since 2013, whether Apple should extend the iPhone product cycle because it's harder to find compelling new features, and the possible appearance of Touch ID on Macs. Kirk will also talk about his new podcast, "The Next Track," which recently debuted. You'll also hear an experimental segment featuring Jeff Gamet, Managing Editor for The Mac Observer. After briefly discussing the prospects at the WWDC, we'll go into pop culture mode, with the emphasis on DC Comics super hero shows on TV. Ahead of this segment, Gene binged on the 1990's version of "The Flash," which starred John Wesley Shipp as the "scarlet speeds