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

In a very special encore episode, we present ethical hacker Jason Lang  of TrustedSec, who reports on the goings at a major hacking conference known as Black Hat. It's one of the top cybersecurity events where a ton of new vulnerabilities and hacker tricks are revealed. This year, as usual, they are revealing new attacks on smartphones, wearables, computers and other personal gadgets, along with IoT, cars and more. Also to be presented is new research on criminal trends in the Dark Web. Jason provides common sense details about the various tricks of the hacker trade, and how you can protect yourself from intrusions. Gene also recounts a recent attempt by a hacker to exact ransom from him for something he didn't even do. Desperation? You'll also hear from industry expert Stephen Baker, Vice President for Industry Analysis at the NPD Group. Stephen will discuss Apple sales, particularly the saturation of the smartphone market. What about those outrageous claims that the iPhone X was a miserable failure, and that suppliers had received reduced orders from Apple even though sales hit record levels? Stephen will also talk about the state of the PC market, including the recent drop in Mac sales. Gene and Stephen discuss the prospects for the HomePod, which hasn't been a big seller, and set-top streamers from Apple, Amazon and Roku. Is it true that Apple TV sales are much lower than the others? What about the efforts to move more product by offering an Apple TV with special sign-up offers from AT&T's DirecTV Now, and reports that Charter, one of the larger cable companies in the U.S., will be offering Apple TV. Gene wonders if we even need one of these devices with more and more TVs offering a decent collection of "smart" features.

This week we present commentator Josh Centers, Managing Editor for TidBITS, and author of "Take Control of Apple TV" and other titles. During this week's session, we focus heavily on the ramifications of Apple's decision to stop reporting unit sales as part of its quarterly financials. Since then, amid rumors, not confirmed, of serious cutbacks in iPhone production, Apple's stock has dropped to the point where it was no longer the largest company on the planet by market cap. Gene and Josh will also cover Apple's deal with Amazon to make Apple Music available on Alexa. What about the higher prices of the latest Apple gear? 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 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. In a very special encore segment, 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?

Coming November 17 on The Tech Night Owl LIVE (www.technightowl.com/radio/): This week we present a special holiday season segment, featuring security guru Scott Nusbaum, senior incident response at TrustedSec (a white hat hacking firm). A main focus is a frightening new risk to online shoppers called “formgrabbing.” Nusbaum will focus on what this means when you place an order, and how online criminals can gather your personal information, such as your address and credit card numbers and use them to steal your money. Are there ways to protect yourself from this threat? Nusbaum covers the whole gamut of online shopping dangers and how to navigate through the troubled waters. 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 a very special encore episode in which we are joined by Daniel Rubino, executive editor of Windows Central,who covers a few key stories from the tech world, starting with an historical view of Skype, after Gene complains yet again about the glitches in the latest Mac version. The discussion moves to Microsoft's decision to withdraw a faulty Windows 10 upgrade for October, 2018, due to critical problems, such as user files being erased. And what about the decision by Google to discontinue its Plus social network after a serious security flaw, hidden by Google, was revealed? Daniel will also discuss Microsoft Surface lineup, and how it serves to influence the rest of the PC industry. 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.

This week, we are joined by independent tech columnist Rob Pegoraro, who writes for USA Today, Yahoo Finance, Wirecutter and other publications. The discussion begins with Apple's recent penchant for raising prices in light of flat sales for its key products, such as the iPhone, iPad and Mac. With the new models introduced in September and October of this year, there have been healthy increases, so we now have a 12.9-inch iPad selling for as much as $1,899 in U.S. dollars, and an iMac reaching $4,199 U.S. when it's all decked out. The iMac it replaced, which was introduced in 2014, started at just $499 U.S. The discussion also covered Apple's September quarterly financials, election security issues and other topics. In a very special encore segment, you'll also hear from Jeff Gamet, Managing Editor for The Mac Observer, who also focuses on the so-called Siri follies. Gene repeats his suggestion about setting up an error-correcting feature to improve its accuracy. Jeff mentions the recent auction of a job application from Steve Jobs, as Gene wonders why anyone would actually care about such a thing, while Jeff reminds us of Jobs' influence on society. There's also a pop culture discussion that includes well-known character actors and how they enhance the value of a film or TV show. Focusing on 4K TV, Gene and Jeff discuss the confusion and incompatibilities of HDR. Even if a TV or set-top box supports both HDR10 and Dolby Vision, not all sets will be able to present content in both formats. To make matters all the more confusing, not all sets support HDR from all HDMI ports, even the ones that are supposed to support these formats.

This week, we feature outspoken columnist John Martellaro, Senior Editor, Analysis & Reviews for The Mac Observer. After the usual complaints about Skype 8 for the Mac, John talks about the things he loves — and hates — about his Apple Watch Series 4, as Gene sits back and checks the time on his $12.88 Walmart calendar watch. There will also be discussions about 4K TV coming of age, and about Apple's possible plans for its forthcoming lineup of TV shows. And just what is Apple planning for its October 30, 2018 media event in Gene's hometown, Brooklyn, NY? Will it include, as expected, refreshes to the iPad Pro lineup? What about new Macs, and will there be a brand new Mac mini, after Apple's cheapest personal computer has languished for four years? Will the new model be oriented more towards pro users? In a very special encore segment, you’ll also hear from about election hacking risks and the uproar over the Helsinki summit. Featured on this segment is Jason Glassberg, co-founder of Casaba Security. Last fall, Casaba and his company explored possible voting system vulnerabilities for a couple of national groups, and the potential problems exhibited by different machines. What about the electronic voting units that do not offer paper backup? What about the chances of hacking returns and altering the results? Gene and Jason engage in a lengthy discussion about the flaws, particularly involving older equipment with obsolete embedded operating systems that can no longer be patched to fix security flaws.

This week, we feature outspoken columnist and podcaster Kirk McElhearn, Gene and Kirk began by repeating their usual complaints about Skype glitches before exploring such topics as Kirk's problems with the Apple Stores in the UK, which aren't rated terribly high for customer service. Kirk also reveals what iPhone he might end up purchasing from the new lineup introduced in September. With an Apple media event set for October 30, 2018, in Brooklyn, NY, Gene and Kirk wonder whether the conventional wisdom that new iPads and Macs will be introduced is correct. Is it even possible that Apple might provide a brief preview of the new Mac Pro that has been promised for 2019? You'll also hear from commentator Jeff Gamet, 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 are joined by Daniel Rubino, executive editor of Windows Central,who covers a few key stories from the tech world, starting with an historical view of Skype, after Gene complains yet again about the glitches in the latest Mac version. The discussion moves to Microsoft's decision to withdraw a faulty Windows 10 upgrade for October, 2018, due to critical problems, such as user files being erased. And what about the decision by Google to discontinue its Plus social network after a serious security flaw, hidden by Google, was revealed? Daniel will also discuss Microsoft Surface lineup, and how it serves to influence the rest of the PC industry. 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.

This week, we are joined by independent tech columnist Rob Pegoraro, who writes for USA Today, Yahoo Finance, Wirecutter and other publications. The discussion begins with the curious tale of a BusinessWeek report claiming that the Chinese engaged in a hacking operation that impacted servers installed by Apple, Amazon and other tech companies, along with strong denials that any such thing occurred. The discussion moves on to iOS 12, and how it appears to work well even on older hardware, such as Rob's iMac mini 4. And what bout the state of browser competition between Chrome, Firefox and Safari, and does Microsoft's Edge for Windows alternative even have a chance? There's also a discussion about Washington's interest in tech privacy, autonomous vehicles and, of course, Tesla's recent troubles with the SEC after CEO Elon Musk made some unfortunate comments on Twitter about the company allegedly planning to go private. 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 talk at length about Apple's September 12th media event, in which three new iPhone X variants were demonstrated. Bryan covers his experiences in ordering one of the new smartphones, plus an Apple Watch Series 4. As a long-time user of luxury watches, Bryan relates his experience with an Apple Watch Series 2 and his expectations for the Series 4, which includes more health-related features, such as an ECG to measure the health of your heart. There is also some talk about the forthcoming iOS 12.

In a very special encore episode, we present writer/editor Adam Engst, of TidBITS, both of whom talk about their different approaches to watching TV. Gene actually cares about the technology, while Adam will more or less accept anything that works. The Apple TV isn't treated well by Gene, who suggests that at least some sets with built-in smart features are more or less just as useful. There's also a discussion about the HomePod, and its tendency to sound a little bassy. And what about Siri? Has it truly reached its potential or does it need work? What about a published report that some of the original Siri employees at Apple were unhappy with its direction and how Apple handled its development. Or would it take an improved scheme to handle its higher and higher load on Apple's servers? Gene suggests an error correcting feature, where you inform Siri when it makes a mistake and give it permission to allow Apple to record the problem. You'll also hear from Jeff Gamet, Managing Editor for The Mac Observer, who also focuses on the so-called Siri follies. Gene repeats his suggestion about setting up an error-correcting feature to improve its accuracy. Jeff mentions the recent auction of a job application from Steve Jobs, as Gene wonders why anyone would actually care about such a thing, while Jeff reminds us of Jobs' influence on society. There's also a pop culture discussion that includes well-known character actors and how they enhance the value of a film or TV show. Focusing on 4K TV, Gene and Jeff discuss the confusion and incompatibilities of HDR. Even if a TV or set-top box supports both HDR10 and Dolby Vision, not all sets will be able to present content in both formats. To make matters all the more confusing, not all sets support HDR from all HDMI ports, even the ones that are supposed to support these formats.

This week we return to cybersecurity with Carlos Perez, principal consultant and head of APT (advanced persistent threat) research at TrustedSec. Carlos is tasked with investigating the latest hacking techniques and tools being used by sophisticated cyber-criminals  from around the world. As part of his work, he also trains the DoD's "hunt teams" known as Cyber Protection Units, or CPTs, which are like the rapid response teams for national security cyber incidents. The CPTs are flown out on C130s. There will also be a heavy focus on common sense security tips that you can use to help protect yourself from online danger. In a special encore segment, you'll also hear from industry expert Stephen Baker, Vice President for Industry Analysis at the NPD Group. Stephen will discuss Apple sales, particularly the saturation of the smartphone market. What about those outrageous claims that the iPhone X was a miserable failure, and that suppliers had received reduced orders from Apple even though sales hit record levels? Stephen will also talk about the state of the PC market, including the recent drop in Mac sales. Gene and Stephen discuss the prospects for the HomePod, which hasn't been a big seller, and set-top streamers from Apple, Amazon and Roku. Is it true that Apple TV sales are much lower than the others? What about the efforts to move more product by offering an Apple TV with special sign-up offers from AT&T's DirecTV Now, and reports that Charter, one of the larger cable companies in the U.S., will be offering Apple TV. Gene wonders if we even need one of these devices with more and more TVs offering a decent collection of "smart" features.

This week we present a thorough look at tech, microchip credit cards, and identity theft with credit repair specialist Darius Norman, author of "Rewriting Financial Rules." Following the introduction of microchip equipped credit cards in 2015 in the United States, which make the cards difficult to counterfeit, criminals focused on new account fraud. We are also seeing thieves going after our children’s social security numbers to do this, so our children are in danger and may never know until they are old enough to apply for credit themselves. What do we do? Darius also focuses on what you should do in the event your credit history or identity are compromised, as Gene reveals some of his personal experiences. You'll also hear from tech editor Bryan Chaffin, co-founder and co-publisher of The Mac Observer. During this segment, Bryan will talk at length about Apple's September 12th media event, in which three new iPhone X variants were demonstrated. Bryan covers his experiences in ordering one of the new smartphones, plus an Apple Watch Series 4. As a long-time user of luxury watches, Bryan relates his experience with an Apple Watch Series 2 and his expectations for the Series 4, which includes more health-related features, such as an ECG to measure the health of your heart. There is also some talk about the forthcoming iOS 12.

This week we present a very special encore episode that features ethical hacker Jason Lang  of TrustedSec, who reports on the goings at a major hacking conference known as Black Hat. It's one of the top cybersecurity events where a ton of new vulnerabilities and hacker tricks are revealed. This year, as usual, they are revealing new attacks on smartphones, wearables, computers and other personal gadgets, along with IoT, cars and more. Also to be presented is new research on criminal trends in the Dark Web. Jason provides common sense details about the various tricks of the hacker trade, and how you can protect yourself from intrusions. Gene also recounts a recent attempt by a hacker to exact ransom from him for something he didn't even do. Desperation? You'll also hear from industry expert Stephen Baker, Vice President for Industry Analysis at the NPD Group. Stephen will discuss Apple sales, particularly the saturation of the smartphone market. What about those outrageous claims that the iPhone X was a miserable failure, and that suppliers had received reduced orders from Apple even though sales hit record levels? Stephen will also talk about the state of the PC market, including the recent drop in Mac sales. Gene and Stephen discuss the prospects for the HomePod, which hasn't been a big seller, and set-top streamers from Apple, Amazon and Roku. Is it true that Apple TV sales are much lower than the others? What about the efforts to move more product by offering an Apple TV with special sign-up offers from AT&T's DirecTV Now, and reports that Charter, one of the larger cable companies in the U.S., will be offering Apple TV. Gene wonders if we even need one of these devices with more and more TVs offering a decent collection of "smart" features.

This week we feature commentator Josh Centers, Managing Editor for TidBITS, and author of "Take Control of Apple TV" and other titles, who focuses on the new product and service announcements expected at Apple's media event set for September 12, 2018 at their new Cupertino, CA campus. In addition to the rumored iPhone introductions, will there be a Series 4 Apple Watch, perhaps with a slightly larger display in a slightly slimmer case? What about new iPads, or will they join new Macs later this year. And why doesn't Josh think that his Apple Watch is that good a product? You'll also hear a discussion about the prospects for Apple TV's success, and about the 55-inch TCL TV, with Roku, which he bought when his 2015 Sony TV suddenly failed. You'll also hear a discussion of iOS 12, which is also the subject of a book from Josh, entitled "Take Control of iOS 12." In a very special encore segment, you'll hear from commentator Rene Ritchie from iMore.  During this episode, Rene will talk about the recent Google I/O event, focusing mainly on a controversial AI demo. What about the fact that Google seems more focused on flashy demos than user privacy? What about published reports that the AI demo may have been faked? He'll also talk about Apple's ongoing problems with Siri, which hasn't advanced all that much since its introduction in 2011. What does Apple have to do to make it comparable to digital assistants from Amazon and Google? Did the introduction of the HomePod reveal Siri's limitations in a way that convinces Apple to fix what's broken? You'll also hear Rene's reaction to all those fake news stories that the iPhone X was a huge failure, even while it became the best selling smartphone on the planet for two straight quarters. He'll offer a possible reason why investors have continued to spread false rumors about iPhone sales over the years.