The Tech Night Owl LIVE — Tech Radio with a Twist!

This week we present a very special encore episode featuring tech reporter Andrew Orr from the The Mac Observer. During this segment, Andrew talks about a recent report, from Axios, that quotes unnamed people from Intel who claim that Apple is prepared to switch to its own A-series CPUs in Macs come 2020. Gene mentions recent predictions from Mac Observer Editor-in-Chief Bryan Chaffin that the next Mac Pro, expected this year, will actually be the first Mac to include one of those chips. You'll also hear talk about Facebook security, Apple's possible plans for introducing TV shows, and a certain outrageous claim about the forthcoming 6G, when 5G is just in the early stages of being rolled out.We also focus on online security, as we present Cat Murdock, a hacker who hunts child predators for the Innocent Lives Foundation. This interview comes in the wake of recent stories about the discover of alleged pedophilia rings on YouTube. Cat will expand on the nature of the problem, and the things parents should look out for in protecting their children. The Innocent Lives Foundation is a nonprofit founded by Chris Hadnagy that recruits hackers and IT experts to use their skills for good by hunting down online predators. The organization's board includes A.J. Cook, a member of the ensemble cast of CBS's "Criminal Minds," and the former head of the FBI's Counterintelligence Behavioral Analysis Program.

This week we present tech commentator and publisher Adam Engst, Editor and Publisher of TidBITS, During this presentation, he will offer his speculation about what Apple may introduce at its March 25, 2019 media event. Will it just include news about a streaming service featuring original TV programming, a possible news and magazine subscription offering, or something unexpected? Adam also talks about the return of CorelDRAW to the macOS platform after a number of years. And what about the dustup between Spotify and Apple over claims that the latter’s “walled garden” is making it difficult for competitors to succeed on its platform. You’ll also hear from tech editor and commentator Bryan Chaffin, co-founder and co-publisher of The Mac Observer. Bryan will also talk about what may come at Apple’s media event, and the possible future of Apple TV. CorelDRAW’s return is also discussed, as will the Spotify/Apple dispute. Bryan will also reveal his expectations of the forthcoming and long-delayed Mac Pro refresh, new versions of the iMac and iMac Pro, and repeat his qualms about the wisdom of buying gear with aging technology that Apple hasn’t updated. Indeed, will such gear feature Apple’s ARM-based processors instead of CPUs from Intel? There will also be talk about Facebook’s plans to encrypt more of is services. And what about a new project involving an open source voting system from DARPA, the research agency that developed the world-wide web and other notable projects. Is this software platform something that the makers of voting machines may adopt, and will it mean greater security and more accurate election results?

This week we present a very special encore episode featuring commentator Josh Centers, Managing Editor for TidBITS, and author of “Take Control of Apple TV” and other titles. During this episode, Josh focuses on such topics as attempts by law enforcement to unlock a suspect's iPhone. While iCloud data is readily obtained, the iPhone is encrypted and Apple has refused to create a back door for security reasons. Josh also talks about the departure of Apple's retail chief Angela Ahrendts, and whether Tim Cook lacks something in hiring new executives. You'll also hear speculation about Apple's forthcoming lineup of TV content, and how it might be presented in comparison to such streaming services as Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and Netflix. And what about the rumored AppleCar?You'll also hear from tech industry expert Stephen Baker, Vice President for Industry Analysis at the NPD Group. Stephen will discuss the fast-growing smartwatch market, where Apple leads by a huge margin. What did the industry do to gain traction? You'll also about Apple's plans to expand its market beyond Apple TV by licensing AirPlay 2 and an iTunes app to major TV makers, such as Samsung. There will also be discussions about flattening smartphone sales and declining PC sales, where Apple has boosted prices on its gear to increase revenue. Stephen will also talk about the success of 4K TV, and whether those super expensive 8K sets, coming to market at very high prices, will some day become popular. And what about the smart speaker market?

This week we present a very special encore episode featuring tech writer Andrew Orr from the The Mac Observer, Andrew covers a variety of topics from some of his recent articles, including more information about the Facebook follies, and the alleged abuses by the world’s largest social network. What about the paucity of apps that support Apple’s controversial touch bar, which is found on some models of the MacBook Pro? The discussion also covers the iPad, and whether it can be used as a primary personal computer with the right keyboard. What about Apple’s upcoming TV programming? Andrew has kept tabs on announcements and rumors of new shows. You’ll also hear about the latest Netflix price increase and the possibility of Apple switching from Intel to its own ARM-based processors on Macs in the near future.We also present the fascinating life story of a former “most wanted” cybercriminal. Brett Johnson discusses his long and varied history as a career criminal, which took him from petty crime to online scams that included identity theft, tax fraud, social engineering attacks, hacking and more. He built and was leader of ShadowCrew, the precursor to today’s darknet markets. As a reformed criminal, Brett consults with large corporations and helps them harden their systems to prevent intrusions from cybercriminals. A nationally-known lecturer and podcaster, he’ll also deliver common sense advice on how you can protect yourself from the dangers of the online world where privacy is usually just a talking point and not much else.

This week we present tech reporter Andrew Orr from the The Mac Observer. During this segment, Andrew talks about a recent report, from Axios, that quotes unnamed people from Intel who claim that Apple is prepared to switch to its own A-series CPUs in Macs come 2020. Gene mentions recent predictions from Mac Observer Editor-in-Chief Bryan Chaffin that the next Mac Pro, expected this year, will actually be the first Mac to include one of those chips. You'll also hear talk about Facebook security, Apple's possible plans for introducing TV shows, and a certain outrageous claim about the forthcoming 6G, when 5G is just in the early stages of being rolled out.In a very special segment, we focus on online security, as we present Cat Murdock, a hacker who hunts child predators for the Innocent Lives Foundation. This interview comes in the wake of recent stories about the discover of alleged pedophilia rings on YouTube. Cat will expand on the nature of the problem, and the things parents should look out for in protecting their children. The Innocent Lives Foundation is a nonprofit founded by Chris Hadnagy that recruits hackers and IT experts to use their skills for good by hunting down online predators. The organization's board includes A.J. Cook, a member of the ensemble cast of CBS's "Criminal Minds," and the former head of the FBI's Counterintelligence Behavioral Analysis Program.

This week we present ommentator Josh Centers, Managing Editor for TidBITS, and author of “Take Control of Apple TV” and other titles. During this episode, Josh focuses on such topics as attempts by law enforcement to unlock a suspect's iPhone. While iCloud data is readily obtained, the iPhone is encrypted and Apple has refused to create a back door for security reasons. Josh also talks about the departure of Apple's retail chief Angela Ahrendts, and whether Tim Cook lacks something in hiring new executives. You'll also hear speculation about Apple's forthcoming lineup of TV content, and how it might be presented in comparison to such streaming services as Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and Netflix. And what about the rumored AppleCar? You'll also hear from tech industry expert Stephen Baker, Vice President for Industry Analysis at the NPD Group. Stephen will discuss the fast-growing smartwatch market, where Apple leads by a huge margin. What did the industry do to gain traction? You'll also about Apple's plans to expand its market beyond Apple TV by licensing AirPlay 2 and an iTunes app to major TV makers, such as Samsung. There will also be discussions about flattening smartphone sales and declining PC sales, where Apple has boosted prices on its gear to increase revenue. Stephen will also talk about the success of 4K TV, and whether those super expensive 8K sets, coming to market at very high prices, will some day become popular. And what about the smart speaker market?

This week we present tech writer/editor Bryan Chaffin, co-founder and co-publisher of The Mac Observer. Recent Apple news is front and center, as Gene and Bryan talk about the insidious bug in Group FaceTime, since fixed, which allowed you to listen to someone at the other end of the connection before the call was made. You’ll also hear about Apple’s revenue shortfall, and whether high prices might have, in part, caused the sales shortfall. There’s also a discussion about Apple’s decision to license AirPlay 2 to major TV makers, such as LG, Sony and VIZIO. Will this be the savior for Apple TV technology? Bryan also offers an update on his theory about the forthcoming Mac Pro, which Apple has promised for this year. Will it result in a key change that is comparable in its impact to the one Apple announced in 2005? In a very special encore segment, we also present the fascinating life story of a former “most wanted” cybercriminal. Brett Johnson discusses his long and varied history as a career criminal, which took him from petty crime to online scams that included identity theft, tax fraud, social engineering attacks, hacking and more. He built and was leader of ShadowCrew, the precursor to today’s darknet markets. As a reformed criminal, Brett consults with large corporations and helps them harden their systems to prevent intrusions from cybercriminals. A nationally-known lecturer and podcaster, he’ll also deliver common sense advice on how you can product yourself from the dangers of the online world where privacy is usually just a talking point and not much else.

In a very special encore episode, this week we present commentator Josh Centers, Managing Editor for TidBITS, and author of "Take Control of Apple TV" and other titles. During this episode, Josh talks about a possible new Apple "Bendgate" scandal, involving a bent chassis issue with the 2018 iPad Pro. Although Apple claims the affected units are within spec, is this something Apple will have to fix? What about past problems with possibly defective Apple gear? Josh also talks about the latest concerns over Facebook privacy and how it handles customer data. The discussion also covers his newest book, "Take Control of Notes," and Apple's upcoming slate of original TV programs. Can Apple deliver compelling entertainment that will quickly grab an audience? You'll also hear from tech editor Bryan Chaffin, co-founder and co-publisher of The Mac Observer. During this segment, Bryan will also cover Apple's move to remove unit sales from its quarterly financials and the possible impact, and Apple Music on Alexa. There will also be a discussion on the lack of 5K displays, other than Apple's iMac and iMac Pro, and an LG display. What about reports of online blackmail, where someone claims to have discovered your password, and threatens to out you as visiting unsavory sites unless you pay the ransom, by Bitcoin. Gene and Bryan will also talk about Apple's higher prices on its latest gear, and what about the promised Mac Pro, due out in 2019? Bryan reveals his theory about why Apple is taking so long to produce the successor to the failed "trashcan" model introduced in 2013 and never updated. Will the next Mac Pro herald a major change in the Mac platform?

This week we feature outspoken commentator and podcaster Kirk McElhearn, In this segment, Kirk starts the discussion by talking about his use of 8TB drives for backup, as Gene examines the lower prices for SSD, which cost several times that of traditional hard drives. Both are concerned that Apple still charges $1,400 for a 2TB SSD upgrade for the Mad mini. With the recent announcement from Apple CEO Tim Cook that the company would miss its earnings guidance, the possible reasons are discussed. In addition to the sales falloff in China, and the fact that people hang onto their devices longer, should Apple consider offering lower priced models to compete better? What about the iPhone SE, which met the needs of people who want small handsets at a relatively affordable price. Apple has run closeout sales on the SE, but only briefly. You'll also hear an encore presentation of a segment with commentator Josh Centers, Managing Editor for TidBITS, and author of "Take Control of Apple TV" and other titles, who covers Apple's expected TV programming, and how it might be presented. What about the new rumors of an updated TV app that will showcase the programs free and present other streaming services for in-app purchases? Does the world need yet another streaming service? What about Google's decision to cancel Plus next year, which is yet another service the search giant has canceled over the years. Did it ever stand a chance against Facebook? What about Facebook's own security problems, and will that ultimately lead to another social network eventually catching fire and taking over the market? Consider that young people these days are mainly focusing on YouTube, which is owned by Google.

This week we present tech writer Andrew Orr from the The Mac Observer, Andrew covers a variety of topics from some of his recent articles, including more information about the Facebook follies, and the alleged abuses by the world's largest social network. What about the paucity of apps that support Apple's controversial touch bar, which is found on some models of the MacBook Pro? The discussion also covers the iPad, and whether it can be used as a primary personal computer with the right keyboard. What about Apple's upcoming TV programming? Andrew has kept tabs on announcements and rumors of new shows. You'll also hear about the latest Netflix price increase and the possibility of Apple switching from Intel to its own ARM-based processors on Macs in the near future. We also present the fascinating life story of a former "most wanted" cybercriminal. Brett Johnson discusses his long and varied history as a career criminal, which took him from petty crime to online scams that included identity theft, tax fraud, social engineering attacks, hacking and more. He built and was leader of ShadowCrew, the precursor to today’s darknet markets. As a reformed criminal, Brett consults with large corporations and helps them harden their systems to prevent intrusions from cybercriminals. A nationally-known lecturer and podcaster, he'll also deliver common sense advice on how you can product yourself from the dangers of the online world where privacy is usually just a talking point and not much else.

This week we present a very special encore episode featuring  tech journalist Sean Aune, Editor-in-Chief of technobuffalo.com. During this segment, Sean will discuss the ongoing debate about privacy, focusing on recent issues involving Facebook. Do these incidents mean that Facebook is destined to lose its status as the world's largest social network? Will it become the next MySpace? Gene and Sean also discuss Apple and whether its new product intros have become a little too much same old same old. Moving to pop culture, they talk about the problems with DC Comics having one set of actors playing a character in a movie, and another on a TV show. Thus we get two versions of Superman, and the Flash, and so on. You’ll also hear from commentator Jeff Gamet, the former Managing Editor for The Mac Observer, Gene and Jeff catch up briefly on pop culture lore, focusing on super heroes. Did the less-than-successful “Justice League,” signal the beginning of the end for the efforts of DC Comics to match Marvel in producing blockbuster films? What about the apparent cutback in schedules of some of their titles, and will DC Comics expand its focus on super hero TV shows on The CW network? In talking about the Apple media event, Jeff suggests that only the iPad will be introduced, and that any new Macs to be launched this fall will be heralded by nothing more than a press release. What about new reports that Apple plans to ditch Intel processors in 2020 and 2021 and install its own A-series processors on new Macs? What will the possible impact be?

This week we present the one and only Adam Engst, Editor and Publisher of TidBITS, During this episode, Gene brings up yet another highly irritating experience with AT&T support and how they mishandled his account. But the main topic is Apple's current predicament, in which revenue for the December quarter (Apple's 1st fiscal quarter) will fall about $5 billion below the original guidance. According to CEO Tim Cook, this is due to slumping sales in China, and the fact that iPhone owners are keeping their equipment longer before upgrading. You'll also hear a discussion that presages the segment below, a theory of a possible significant development that might be part of the "modular" Mac Pro that Apple promises to introduce this year. In a special encore segment, you'll also hear from tech editor Bryan Chaffin, co-founder and co-publisher of The Mac Observer. During this segment, Bryan will also cover Apple's move to remove unit sales from its quarterly financials and the possible impact, and Apple Music on Alexa. There will also be a discussion on the lack of 5K displays, other than Apple's iMac and iMac Pro, and an LG display. What about reports of online blackmail, where someone claims to have discovered your password, and threatens to out you as visiting unsavory sites unless you pay the ransom, by Bitcoin. Gene and Bryan will also talk about Apple's higher prices on its latest gear, and what about the promised Mac Pro, due out in 2019? Bryan reveals his theory about why Apple is taking so long to produce the successor to the failed "trashcan" model introduced in 2013 and never updated. Will the next Mac Pro herald a major change in the Mac platform?

This week we present outspoken tech editor Bryan Chaffin, co-founder and co-publisher of The Mac Observer. During this episode, Bryan discusses the silly lawsuit by the voice actor for the Hebrew version of Siri. What about a tiny bent area on the new iPad Pro that Apple regards as within spec? Should Apple replace these potentially "defective" products? Bryan dischttps://www.technightowl.com/radio/usses the history of supposedly flawed Apple gear, including the Antennagate controversy that impacted the iPhone 4. Other topics on the menu include Facebook's ongoing problems, and the negative impact to Apple's stock price after the company announced  that it would no longer report unit sales of individual products in its quarterly financials. And what about the promised 2019 Mac Pro? Bryan repeats his theory that it will be the first Mac to be powered by one of Apple's custom-designed ARM processors instead of an Intel CPU. In a special encore segment, you'll also hear from commentator/podcaster Peter Cohen, who also focuses on "Right to Repair" and the upsides and downsides. Peter offers his personal experiences as the employee of an authorized Apple dealer some years ago and how it influenced his opinion about whether Apple and other companies need to allow more repair freedom. There's also a brief discussion about the concept of states' rights and how it affects customers where such laws vary from state to state. The discussion also focuses on the HomePod and its possible value as a smart speaker. Both Gene and Peter explain, at length, why a HomePod is not on their shopping lists right now, and whether Apple could sell more copies if it loosened its dependence on Apple's ecosystem when it comes to being able to listen to your stuff.

This week we present commentator Josh Centers, Managing Editor for TidBITS, and author of "Take Control of Apple TV" and other titles. During this episode, Josh talks about a possible new Apple "Bendgate" scandal, involving a bent chassis issue with the 2018 iPad Pro. Although Apple claims the affected units are within spec, is this something Apple will have to fix? What about past problems with possibly defective Apple gear? Josh also talks about the latest concerns over Facebook privacy and how it handles customer data. The discussion also covers his newest book, "Take Control of Notes," and Apple's upcoming slate of original TV programs. Can Apple deliver compelling entertainment that will quickly grab an audience? In a very special encore segment, you'll also hear from tech editor Bryan Chaffin, co-founder and co-publisher of The Mac Observer. During this segment, Bryan will also cover Apple's move to remove unit sales from its quarterly financials and the possible impact, and Apple Music on Alexa. There will also be a discussion on the lack of 5K displays, other than Apple's iMac and iMac Pro, and an LG display. What about reports of online blackmail, where someone claims to have discovered your password, and threatens to out you as visiting unsavory sites unless you pay the ransom, by Bitcoin. Gene and Bryan will also talk about Apple's higher prices on its latest gear, and what about the promised Mac Pro, due out in 2019? Bryan reveals his theory about why Apple is taking so long to produce the successor to the failed "trashcan" model introduced in 2013 and never updated. Will the next Mac Pro herald a major change in the Mac platform?

This week we feature outspoken commentator and podcaster Kirk McElhearn, In a recent column, Kirk explained why he cannot use Apple Maps during his travels around the UK, explaining that the directions are seriously flawed. Kirk says he wants to give up Google Maps, but he cannot do so yet. The discussion also moves to Apple's recent decision to stop reporting unit sales for iPhones, iPads and Macs in its quarterly financial reports. This has started a groundswell of complaints that, along with unconfirmed rumors of poor sales of the new iPhones, has caused Apple's stock price to drop, thus losing its status as the number one company on Earth by market cap. In a very special encore segment, you’ll also hear from commentator Josh Centers, Managing Editor for TidBITS, and author of “Take Control of Apple TV” and other titles, who covers Apple’s expected TV programming, and how it might be presented. What about the new rumors of an updated TV app that will showcase the programs free and present other streaming services for in-app purchases? Does the world need yet another streaming service? What about Google’s decision to cancel Plus next year, which is yet another service the search giant has canceled over the years. Did it ever stand a chance against Facebook? What about Facebook’s own security problems, and will that ultimately lead to another social network eventually catching fire and taking over the market? Consider that young people these days are mainly focusing on YouTube, which is owned by Google.