Kelly Guimont, Jim Rea, Brian Flanigan-Arthurs, Kirk McElhearn and Chuck Joiner wrap up the 2025 MacVoices Holiday Gift Guides wraps up with “best of the rest” episodes, packed with practical picks and plenty of laughs. Highlights include keyboard travel cases, socks, portable power options, dictation software, a motorized TV mount, a light, and compact multi-port chargers. (Part 1)
Charlotte Henry and Chuck Joiner close out 2025 by assessing Apple TV’s year—awards recognition, strategy, and the ongoing marketing puzzle. They preview upcoming releases like F1, Hijack, and Tehran, debate sports and bundling, and share standout favorites including Slow Horses, Prime Target, The Morning Show, Mythic Quest, and Foundation.
The 2025 MacVoices Holiday Gift Guide continues with Brittany Smith, Mike Potter, and Chuck Joiner making the picks. They include an affordable Bluetooth blood pressure monitor that syncs to Health, a whimsical LEGO gingerbread Star Wars piece, and a double recommendation of an Audible subscription and a book that covers Apple from a different angle. An app pick, a feline-oriented calendar, and a push to learn large language models responsibly finishes off this guide. (Part 2)
This installment of the holiday gift guide features Brittany Smith and Mike Potter sharing standout picks ranging from stylish backpacks and powerful travel chargers to compact cables, AI-powered webcams, and tools for extending the life of older Macs. The conversation offers practical, creative gift ideas that blend portability, productivity, and smart tech upgrades.
Jeff Carlson dives deeper into watchOS 26 changes, from a redesigned Workout app and expanded customization to Workout Buddy’s friendly audio updates. He also points out new Control Center options, Smart Stack hints, Focus-based watch face switching, and Ultra 3 satellite support. The discussion reinforces how an updated guide can reveal the small features that make the watch feel more personal and useful.
Jeff Carlson returns to share insights from his updated digital storage guide, exploring NAS, SSDs, direct-connect solutions, and memory cards. He explains practical pros and cons, touches on backup strategies, and highlights security issues. Jeff also discusses his new role at CNET, where he covers mobile technology and photography, including testing the Pixel 10 Pro XL’s AI-powered zoom.
Jeff Carlson breaks down modern storage: SSD vs HDD and NVMe, when Thunderbolt 5 is worth it, APFS essentials, cable pitfalls, and smarter backup plans. Plus iOS/iPadOS support for external drives, NAS pros and cons, and why SD cards aren’t a universal fix. Practical tips to protect your data and your budget.
Google escapes a breakup in its antitrust case but must share limited data, while Apple secures billions from its Google search deal. The panel debates whether antitrust remedies punish innovation, investor responses, and the rise of AI assistants on smart TVs—plus Clippy’s odd return as a protest symbol.
Charlotte Henry and Chuck Joiner return with another TV Plus Talk episode to explore the world of Apple TV+. Recorded just before a major Apple event, they share their excitement and speculation about new iPhone announcements while setting the stage for deeper discussions on Apple’s streaming service.
In Part 3, the panel weighs iPhone 17 updates: vapor-chamber cooling, larger batteries, a widened camera deck with triple 48MP sensors, square-format capture, 3,000-nit displays, and up to 2TB storage. They compare AirPods’ translation “wow” to phones’ incremental gains, discuss creators’ workflows, and even assess Apple’s moody event production and refreshed case materials.
In part two of the panel’s Apple event coverage, discussion turns to the Apple Watch Series 11 and Ultra models, highlighting sleep tracking, health features, and impressive battery life. The group also examines the new iPhone Air and Pro lineup, debating design durability, camera advancements, storage options, and real-world usability. Trade-in values and upgrade choices round out the lively conversation.
The panel breaks down Apple’s latest event, highlighting new AirPods with live translation, heart rate monitoring, better noise cancellation, and fitness tracking. They also explore updates to the Apple Watch lineup, including the affordable SE3 and the powerful Ultra 3. With insights on trade-ins, sleep tracking quirks, and upgrade choices, the group weighs which new devices are worth the investment.
A PSA on TypePad’s shutdown leads to a bigger question: does a curated Apple-news hub still matter today? The panel explores MacSurfer’s beta return, comparing classic aggregation with modern RSS workflows (NetNewsWire, Feedly), topic vs site organization, search value, and daily cadence. Nostalgia meets practicality as they assess how curation shapes what we read—and what we might miss.
The panel explores whether platforms like Discord, Reddit, Mastodon, or Blue Sky could realistically replace Facebook’s role in community groups. They weigh generational challenges, user adoption barriers, and compare these shifts to Zoom’s rapid rise during the pandemic. The discussion closes with predictions for Apple’s upcoming September event and reflections on privacy, usability, and platform loyalty.
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