In a one-on-one conversation from a recent edition of The Mac Show on The British Tech Network, Jeff Gamet and Chuck Joiner talked about smart assistants. The differences in purposes, capabilities, and responsiveness are discussed, along with notification abuse and which devices they each use. (Part 1)
A bonus-sized MacVoices discussion resulted from a virtual visit to the Long Island Macintosh User Group. As with most user group discussions, we start out in one direction and then let the questions and conversation dictate what we cover. The starting point this time was the iPhone 16 and things went from there.
The Internet Archive, its importance, and a recent DDoS attack on it start off a MacVoices Live! discussion with Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Marty Jencius, Brian Flanigan-Arthurs, Web Bixby, Jim Rea, Jeff Gamet, and Eric Bolden. The panel also gets a chuckle over the UK adopting a USB-C charging standard, and cover some of the little-knowing LLMs that are more specialized than the ones you might be familiar with.
MacVoices Live! covers several recent shifts in major tech platforms, starting with the mass migration of users from X to Blue Sky and its implications for social media competition. The panel of Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Martty Jencius, Brian Flanigan-Arthurs, Web Bixby, Jim Rea, Jeff Gamet, and Eric Bolden discuss the challenges Sonos faces regarding device connectivity and user experience as well as Squarespace’s $7.2 billion acquisition, the internal turmoil within WordPress under Automatic, and the possible effect on the web site building industry.
MacVoices Live! panel members Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Martty Jencius, Brian Flanigan-Arthurs, Web Bixby, Jim Rea, Jeff Gamet, and Eric Bolden have differing use cases for Apple’s new set list feature in Music, at least a couple of which will surprise you. We also debate the importance of celebrity endorsements through the new Beats Pill, cover the reported increase in iPhone sales in Russia, and an Irish seizure of counterfeit Apple products.
Apple Pay turned 10 recently and the MacVoices Live! panel discussed its transformation and influence in mobile payments since its launch. Then, Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Martty Jencius, Brian Flanigan-Arthurs, Web Bixby, Jim Rea, Jeff Gamet, and Eric Bolden detour into political territory, examining a political narrative surrounding a rumored phone call between Tim Cook and Donald Trump related to EU regulations. The conversation focused on the need for both skeptical and mixed media coverage.
The 2024-10 MacVoices Update arrives a day late with a good reason. Chuck explains why before discussing the month’s progress on the new web site and blog, goes over the changes that have come to Patreon, and delivers the Support Report.
The MacVoices panel discusses the changes Adobe made to Fresco, apparently to go after the tablet drawing app market that Procreate dominates. How do the two compare, and how with their respective business models fare? Chuck Joiner, Brian Flanigan-Arthurs, David Ginsburg, Ben Roethig, Marty Jencius, Eric Bolden, Jim Rea, Jeff Gamet, and Web Bixby have thoughts before they report on Sonos’ improvements, and laugh their way through the cell carriers’ assertion that locking phones is good for you.
Chuck Joiner, Brian Flanigan-Arthurs, David Ginsburg, Ben Roethig, Marty Jencius, Eric Bolden, Jim Rea, Jeff Gamet, and Web Bixby turn their attention to the newly announced M4 iPad. Who will be buying it, the secondary monitor support, and how it will change as Apple Intelligence rolls out are all considered. The panel also looks at a new Apple Card promotion and whether Apple or Goldman Sachs is funding it, as well as the roll that Apple TV+ seems to be on.
During a week of Apple announcements, the MacVoice Live! panel took a look at the first two Mac upgrades. Chuck Joiner, Brian Flanigan-Arthurs, David Ginsburg, Ben Roethig, Marty Jencius, Eric Bolden, Jim Rea, Jeff Gamet, and Web Bixby look at the new Mac Mini with the M4 and M4 Pro chips, and the performance boost they offer in a new, compact form factor. Design quirks, multiple monitor support, and Thunderbolt 5 are part of the discussion, as is the question over whether this should be considered a “prosumer” machine.
Our multi-part conversation with Take Control author Glenn Fleishman concludes with discussions of Take Control of Securing Your Apple Devices, Take Control of Find My and AirTags, and Take Control of FaceTime and Messages. Glenn points out some lesser-known features such as Lockdown Mode and Private Wi-Fi Address, talks about using GateKeeper effectively, and explains some new features in FaceTime and Messages that improve the user experience. (Part 3)
Glenn Fleishman goes in depth on the title subject of his Keep Safe Using Mobile Tech. We talk about how to secure Apple devices amid all the changes and updates to operating systems, along with features such as car crash detection, fall detection, emergency SOS, and the Check-In function, Glenn emphasizes the need for individuals to understand and customize their device settings for optimal protection from both misadventure as well as theft. (Part 2)
In the first part of a wide-ranging conversation with author Glenn Fleishman, we touch on his participation in the Shift Happens book project, his latest project, How Comics Were Made, and his Take Control of Your Apple Account. Along the way we looked back at the surprising origins of a peripheral we all use, the challenges of the early printing industry, and got some thoughts on what you can and can’t do in your account interactions with Apple.
Two topics dominate this MacVoices Live! discussion. Chuck Joiner, Marty Jencius, Eric Bolden, Jim Reat, and Mark Fuccio look at the ongoing soap opera that is the Wordpress/WP Engine feud that now has some employees heading for less combative pastures. Then, the panel consider the latest efforts by Sonos to gain back their customers trust…and why it is an uphill climb.
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