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

This week we feature outspoken columnist and podcaster Kirk McElhearn, who talks about reports that Google is still tracking people even after they have switched off that feature. So what is this all about anyway? Kirk will also explain why he seldom uses his Apple TV anymore, as Gene reminds listeners that he hasn’t touched his in nearly a year. Is Apple’s decision to allow pay-TV services to offer them as premiums for new customers help boost sales? Kirk will also explain why he recently canceled his Netflix account, but keeps Amazon Prime. There will also be a brief discussion about the potential of the next iPhone lineup from Apple, as Kirk answers the question of whether he’s going to buy one. Gene recounts his problems with an iPhone 5c that recently became unable to sustain a reliable connection in an area with a signal the carrier claims is average. In a very special encore segment, you’ll also hear from John Martellaro, Senior Editor, Analysis & Reviews for The Mac Observer. The bill of fare this week includes Apple CEO Tim Cook’s denial that Apple plans to merge iOS and macOS into some sort of converged product. What about Amazon’s Fire TV Edition sets, and will they do what Apple TV can’t? Should Apple be licensing its set-top box technology to TV makers? John also discusses the reported struggles of the HomePod, and how the next Mac Pro, due in 2019, will be “fundamentally different” from previous models because Apple plans to focus heavily on making professional workflows run more efficiently. And what about Apple’s recent educational event, where a new $329 iPad was introduced? Could it be that Apple is attempting to regain traction in the educational market with an obsolete formula? Can they possibly turn things around, or are Chromebooks going to continue to stay ahead?

In a special encore episode, we feature commentator Jeff Gamet, Managing Editor for The Mac Observer, who joins Gene in an extended pop culture chat. After a brief talk about the first female Doctor Who, as portrayed by Jodie Whittaker, the focus moves to comic book movies, and the dark approach taken by DC Comics compared to the lighter fare from Marvel. Gene provides a detailed report about SHAZAM, a character that once competed with Superman, which will be featured in a movie next year. You’ll also hear about the new MacBook Pro, and whether Apple addressed the concerns over the previous model. There is also talk about whether there will be an update to the iPhone SE, the next Apple Watch, the pending merger between Sprint and T-Mobile, and the problems Netflix encountered in boosting subscriptions in the last quarter. 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 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 feature irrepressible commentator/podcaster Peter Cohen, who focuses on Apple's recent report of stellar sales for the June 2018 quarter, and becoming the first company to exceed a one trillion dollar market cap despite the skeptics saying Amazon would get there first. What about the extreme disconnect between the claims from some alleged industry analysts that the iPhone X was a huge failure, even after Apple CEO Tim Cook announced it was their top-selling smartphone (and the top selling smartphone on Earth) for three quarters in a row. Peter also expresses his concerns about the 13% drop in Mac sales for the last quarter, and whether Apple has dropped the ball in creating compelling new models that will restart sales. In a special encore segment, you'll also hear from outspoken columnist Jonny Evans, Computerworld's "Apple Holic," who talks about reports of an "iPhone addiction," in which people supposedly pay too much attention to their smartphones. Gene mentions the well-known phenomenon of lines and lines of people walking about looking down at their mobile gear. Apple's CarPlay is briefly mentioned, along with the 2018 CES in which, again, many of the announcements involved gadgets that will never see the light of day. Jonny brings up privacy in connection with Amazon's Alexa, about the world's largest online retailer's interface turning up on some TV sets. After Gene lists the connection cables he needs for his TV and his iMac, Jonny makes a strong pitch for "cable free," in which all your gear can be connected without the need for wires and endless wire clutter.

This week we feature commentator Bryan Chaffin, co-founder and co-publisher of The Mac Observer, who covers Facebook's ongoing woes, which resulted in a substantial loss of its market cap and a huge drop in co-founder Mark Zuckerberg's net worth. Will Facebook regain its glory, or are too many people suspicious of its apparent lack of concern for your privacy? Gene and Bryan also talk about the throttling problem with the 2018 MacBook Pro, which Apple largely fixed with a software update. But does its thin and light design still prevent the powerful Intel Core i9 processor from reaching its full potential? What about reports of a kernel panic bug that impacts some of the new MacBook Pros and the iMac Pro? Bryan also explains why Ultra HD Blu-ray players, which support 4K video, may not be needed because of the growth of 4K streaming. 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 feature commentator Jeff Gamet, Managing Editor for The Mac Observer, who joins Gene in an extended pop culture chat. After a brief talk about the first female Doctor Who, as portrayed by Jodie Whittaker, the focus moves to comic book movies, and the dark approach taken by DC Comics compared to the lighter fare from Marvel. Gene provides a detailed report about SHAZAM, a character that once competed with Superman, which will be featured in a movie next year. You'll also hear about the new MacBook Pro, and whether Apple addressed the concerns over the previous model. There is also talk about whether there will be an update to the iPhone SE, the next Apple Watch, the pending merger between Sprint and T-Mobile, and the problems Netflix encountered in boosting subscriptions in the last quarter. 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 commentator Josh Centers, Managing Editor for TidBITS, and author of "Take Control of Apple TV" and other titles, who covers Apple's surprising release of a major update for the MacBook Pro. The refresh features 6-core processors, solid state drives as large as 4TB and up to 32GB RAM, twice as much as Apple has previously offered. Is this the professional  notebook that many users have craved after expressing disappointment with the models offered over the past two years? Josh will also provide speculation about a possible future successor to the Mac, using an ARM-based CPU instead of Intel. Will this be a sort of convergence machine offering features derived from the iPad and Mac, or something altogether new? There will also be a discussion about health and fitness privacy, where Gene wonders if anyone would care if it got out that he's just shy of six feet one inch tall and weighs 178.5 pounds? In a special encore presentation, you’ll also hear from tech columnist and former industry analyst Joe Wilcox, who writes for BetaNews. During this episode, Joe will explain why he regards Apple’s Siri voice assistant as worse than Microsoft’s Skype, despite all the connection glitches with the latter. Will hiring former Google executives help Apple make Siri more responsive and accurate, without sacrificing your security? You’ll also hear about Google I/O and Android P, and about all those fake news reports that the iPhone X was unsuccessful. For two quarters straight, however, Apple reported that the iPhone X was not only its best selling smartphone for each week it was on sale, but the hottest selling smartphone on the planet. Gene shares his 20 years experience with the iMac, which began with the original Bondi Blue model that he beta tested for Apple as part of the former Customer Quality Feedback (CQF) program. You’ll also hear about the Apple Watch and whether it makes sense for Apple to switch Macs from Intel to ARM CPUs.continued to spread false rumors about iPhone sales over the years.

In a special encore episode, we are joined by tech journalist Derek Kessler, managing editor of Mobile Nations — who also leads their coverage of the Tesla. The owner of a Tesla Model S luxury sports sedan, Derek offers sage insights into recent reports of problems with self-driving vehicles, such as Tesla's Autopilot. He cites cases involving a Tesla and an autonomous driving test vehicle from Uber, the ride hailing company. Are self-driving features ready for prime time, or will it take longer, much longer, for them to become fully dependable? What about drivers being lulled into a false sense of security when exposed to such systems? Derek also discusses his experiences with his Model S, and the prospects for the company's Model 3 mid-sized vehicle. Will production hit acceptable targets before the company runs out of cash? What about widespread charging stations, and what about all the incompatible systems? You'll also 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.

This week we present commentator Rene Ritchie from iMore.  During this episode, Rene will offer a detailed overview of Apple's iOS 12, based on a lengthy preview article he wrote recently. iOS 12 is now available for download as a public beta, for release this fall. You'll learn about all the clever programming tricks Apple's developers used to make the new mobile OS run noticeably faster, especially on older gear, going as far back as the iPhone 6. While most of the new features are largely under the surface, there are a number of useful innovations. As part of an effort to boost Siri's accuracy, reliability and usability, Apple has launched Siri Shortcuts, which allows you to automate functions and activate them by voice. You'll also learn about macOS Mojave, and why Gene is not able to install it on his 2010 MacBook Pro due to Apple's design decisions. You’ll also go shopping with Thrifter's Louryn Strampe as she offers a tech preview of Amazon Prime Day. This is the event where Amazon offers a whole range of special discounts for alert shoppers. Louryn is a senior editor with Thrifter (Mobile Nation's deal-tracking news site) and she's a former deals specialist with BFAds. This episode doesn't just focus on Amazon Prime, but on how Thrifter seeks out online bargains that can save you lots of money, plus verify that the offers are genuine and come from reliable companies. Gene and Louryn tour the site, covering different categories of merchandise, plus the site's newsletters, blogs and other features. The shopping tour includes Gene's search for a bargain for his pet bichon's favorite dog food, plus information about a one-day offer where a highly-rated TV set was heavily discounted.

This week, we invite you to meet Major General (Ret) Earl D. Matthews: He spent three decades at the nexus of big budgets and cybersecurity, including stints as Director, Cyberspace Operations and Chief Information Security Officer at HQ, U.S. Air Force, and VP for Enterprise Security Solutions at Hewlett-Packard. In his current role as Senior VP and Chief Strategy Officer at Verodin, Inc., he champions the concept of security instrumentation, a process that continuously validates the effectiveness of each security element in place. During this episode, he'll cover a gamut of cybersecurity issues that include the privacy issues at Facebook, the DNC hack, along with managing your personal privacy at a time when tens of millions of Americans have had their credit reports hacked. Major General Matthews will also reveal two episodes of ID theft that impacted his own family. You'll also hear from tech columnist and former industry analyst Joe Wilcox, who writes for BetaNews. During this episode, Joe will explain why he regards Apple's Siri voice assistant as worse than Microsoft's Skype, despite all the connection glitches with the latter. Will hiring former Google executives help Apple make Siri more responsive and accurate, without sacrificing your security? You'll also hear about Google I/O and Android P, and about all those fake news reports that the iPhone X was unsuccessful. For two quarters straight, however, Apple reported that the iPhone X was not only its best selling smartphone for each week it was on sale, but the hottest selling smartphone on the planet. Gene shares his 20 years experience with the iMac, which began with the original Bondi Blue model that he beta tested for Apple as part of the former Customer Quality Feedback (CQF) program. You'll also hear about the Apple Watch and whether it makes sense for Apple to switch Macs from Intel to ARM CPUs.

This weekend our guests include outspoken writer/editor Bryan Chaffin, co-founder and co-publisher of The Mac Observer, The discussion includes Apple's efforts to expand its AR efforts, and Gene's concern that it probably won't mean much unless you're into gaming. And what sort of AR glasses might Apple devise to avoid the problems that afflicted the failed Google Glass? There is also a lengthy discussion of Apple's TV prospects, where it is spending an estimated one billion dollars or more to create original content with well-known producers and directors. What format will Apple use to present these shows, which are expected to debut beginning in 2019? Will it be something to accompany Apple Music, thus Apple Music and TV? Or will Apple establish a totally separate streaming service for its new content? Gene expresses his skepticism that the world is ready for yet another streaming TV service what with so many available already, whereas Bryan feels it won't be part of Apple TV. In a very special encore segment, you'll also hear from long-time Apple guru and prolific author Bob “Dr. Mac” LeVitus, as Gene recounts yet another episode of his ongoing troubles with AT&T when he tried to take advantage of a cheap offer for DirecTV. Gene explains why he's kept AT&T service for his iPhone even though there are other and possibly better alternatives. Bob says he switched from AT&T to T-Mobile. There's also a brief discussion of "world backup day," as Gene facetiously suggests that maybe the show ought to go back in time to honor the event in the proper fashion. And what about published reports that future versions of macOS and iOS might allow you to run the same apps on both? And what about recent speculation that Apple will someday ditch using Intel processors on Macs and make yet another processor move, to the same A-series ARM chips used on iPhones and iPads? Is this a reasonable possibility, or would the fact that many Mac users need to run Windows at native speeds make such a move unfeasible?

This weekend our guests focus mainly on Apple's 2018 Worldwide Developer's Conference (WWDC) and its June 4th keynote featuring CEO Tim Cook and several members of his executive team. During that event, the wraps were taken off iOS 12, macOS 10.14 Mojave, tvOS 12, and watchOS 5; all will be released this fall. We talk about the splashy new features, and the ones that aren't so flashy but might impact the user experience. Among the topics discussed are the planned improvements to Apple's Siri digital assistant, which includes Siri Shortcuts, an easy automation feature reminiscent of AppleScript, and the planned performance improvements of at least 50% to older hardware that runs iOS 12. With macOS 10.14, the new Dark Mode will be profiled, along with announced Finder improvements that'll make it easier to manage cluttered desktops on your Mac. There will also be discussions about what's forthcoming in tvOS 12, and whether any of it is compelling, and what about the walkie-talkie feature planed for watchOS 5, which will impact Apple Watch this fall? Our special guests include outspoken podcaster and columnist Kirk McElhearn, who also details his concerns about Skype, and a problem he encountered due to a severe lack of security protections. During the second half of the show, we feature commentator Jeff Gamet, Managing Editor for The Mac Observer, who will also talk about the experience of watching his bed-in-a-box expand to several times its size after removing it from the box and separating the plastic wrappings. Jeff will also focus some on pop culture, and the latest security problems with Facebook.

The weekend before Apple's Worldwide Developer's Conference (WWDC), the Night Owl assembles a panel of expert commentators to speculate on what Apple might announce. The main expected development is the launch of the newest operating systems for iPhones, iPads, Apple TV, Apple Watch and Macs. Will there be loads of new tentpole features, or, as some rumors claim, will Apple take a more measured approach, to reduce the possibility of bugs, a problem that hurt the reliability of iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra. Our panel willl also speculate on whether or not Apple plans to introduce new Macs and other products. There has been speculation on both sides, mentioning at least some new hardware, or no hardware at all. What about the possibility that Apple will someday release at least some Macs using Apple's ARM-based CPU? Is that the result of the obstacles Intel has confronted in releasing new silicon? You'll also hear speculation about whether Apple is prepared to demonstrate its promised revision to the Mac Pro, which is expected to be released in 2019, and is the Mac mini an endangered species despite a recent statement from CEO Tim Cook that the company "loves" its smallest and cheapest Mac? Our guest panel includes outspoken commentator and podcaster Peter Cohen, and commentator Josh Centers, Managing Editor for TidBITS, and author of "Take Control of Apple TV" and other titles, who also explains why he finds it difficult, if not impossible, to recommend any of Apple's current Macs. Josh will also talk about the confusion surrounding all those updated privacy statements to comply with the EU's difficult-to-understand GDPR regulations.

This week, we are joined by tech columnist Rob Pegoraro, who writes for USA Today, Yahoo Finance, Wirecutter and other publications. At the beginning of this segment, Rob explains that he's taken apart his vintage 27-inch iMac, from 2009, in order to replace the drive with an SSD from Other Word Computing. The process requires using suction cups to pry the glass from the chassis. Gene shares his experiences in upgrading a similar computer several years ago. In later iMacs, it's held together with adhesive, making the disassembly and reassemble process far more complicated. There's also a discussion about Siri's voice recognition problems, and a recent report that someone's Amazon Echo Dot, featuring Alexa, recorded a personal conversation and sent the file to a contact in another city. Can we trust these digital assistances to respect our privacy? Rob also talked about a meeting with security experts discussing changes and possible improvements in online security over the past 20 years. In a special encore presentation, you’ll also hear a vintage segment featuring Ben Williams of Adblock Plus. Ad blocking has experienced a lot of activity over the past year, especially since Google entered the fray with its ad filter for Chrome. There are still battles between publishers and ad blockers, and payment systems to publishers from users are being talked about with more frequency. Gene and Ben will engage in an extended discussion about the value of online advertising, and the long history of making it as offensive as possible. There will also be a pop culture discussion, about ads that build branding images based on using a well-known personality, such as Oscar winning actor J.K. Simmons, known for Farmers Insurance commercials and loads of movies and TV shows, including the recent comic book film, “Justice League,” where he played Commissioner Gordon. You’ll also learn how ad blockers can be configured to allow ads that have been approved by Adblock Plus.

This week, we are joined by tech journalist Derek Kessler, managing editor of Mobile Nations — who also leads their coverage of the Tesla. The owner of a Tesla Model S luxury sports sedan, Derek offers sage insights into recent reports of problems with self-driving vehicles, such as Tesla's Autopilot. He cites cases involving a Tesla and an autonomous driving test vehicle from Uber, the ride hailing company. Are self-driving features ready for prime time, or will it take longer, much longer, for them to become fully dependable? What about drivers being lulled into a false sense of security when exposed to such systems? Derek also discusses his experiences with his Model S, and the prospects for the company's Model 3 mid-sized vehicle. Will production hit acceptable targets before the company runs out of cash? What about widespread charging stations, and what about all the incompatible systems? You'll also 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.