Kelly Guimont returns to The Road to Macstock Conference and Expo to talk about her session on practical, privacy-conscious home automation. Starting from zero, she will help attendees make informed choices and avoid feeling overwhelmed, with real-life examples and insights drawn from years of experience. She also shares why MacStock remains a favorite event—thanks to its community, connection, and even the karaoke.
Mike Schmitz returns to the Road to Macstock Conference and Expo to discuss his session, “Think Different: Using AI as Your Creative Copilot.” He explains how he uses AI not to automate the end product, but to enhance the early stages of the creative process—particularly brainstorming and idea generation. By reframing “hallucinations” as sparks of inspiration, Mike shares how large language models help overcome creative bottlenecks, reduce friction, and support consistency without sacrificing originality. He also highlights specific tools that allow independent creators to scale their reach more effectively and thoughtfully.
We wrap up our NAB Show 2025 coverage with Terry Morgan and Caroline Scott of Luma Touch, who share insights on how AI is being integrated into video editing without stifling creativity. While AI offers efficiency, concerns remain about homogenized content and the loss of personal storytelling. They emphasize the importance of editorial choices that bring emotion and uniqueness, warning against over-reliance on AI-generated results.
In part two of the WWDC 2025 keynote discussion, the MacVoices Live! panel dives deeper into hands-on impressions of Apple’s latest OS betas and features. Highlights include the enthusiasm around call screening and hold assist, improvements to multitasking and UI unification, and Apple Watch additions like Workout Buddy and wrist flick gestures. Chuck Joiner, David Ginsbug, Brittany Smith, Marty Jencius, Ben Roethig, Jeff Gamet, Eric Bolden, and Brian Flanigan-Arthurs also examine a new focus on gaming, privacy-focused on-device AI, and new Shortcuts automations on the Mac. (Part 2)
Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Brian Flanigan-Arthurs, Jim Rea, Marty Jencius, Eric Bolden, Mark Fuccio, and Brittany Smith break down Adobe’s new Creative Cloud Pro subscription, which lowers the monthly price by excluding generative AI features. They compare its value for individuals and enterprise users, discuss Adobe’s long-term strategy, and weigh the pros and cons of subscription models. The conversation shifts to Elgato’s introduction of a virtual Stream Deck, its limitations, and how tools like Keyboard Maestro can automate tasks and streamline workflows—no hardware required.
The Road to Macstock Conference & Expo finds its way to Brian Flanagan-Arthurs, who will present “Automate, But Don’t Take Shortcuts,” focusing on accessible, time-saving automation tools built into Apple devices. He will focus on simple automations, routines, and smart device usage that reclaim time and support better learning, productivity, and health—without overwhelming complexity. The session will also explore how automation and AI shape education and the future workplace.
The panel analyzes Tim Cook’s recent comments on Siri and Apple Intelligence from the latest earnings call, debating whether Apple overpromised on AI capabilities. Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Marty Jencius, Mark Fuccio, Eric Bolden, Jim Rea, and Jeff Gamet also revisit Apple’s discontinued router line and the likelihood of a comeback in today’s competitive market. The episode wraps with a discussion about Duolingo’s decision to replace human content creators with AI, exploring both the potential educational value and the broader implications for language learning and job displacement.
Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Marty Jencius, Web Bixby, and Jim Rea explore the new Beats Pill speaker color exclusives at Target and Walmart, consider the value of paying for Apple Intelligence, and critique Siri’s limitations. Discussions turn to competing AI tools like Perplexity, ChatGPT, and Microsoft Copilot, comparing user experiences and privacy concerns. Apple’s privacy-first approach is praised, but its AI progress is a concern when viewed against its competition.
The Road to Macstock Conference and Expo is getting short, but we’re not done yet. Jeff Gamet of The Context Machine (among other projects) talks about how his presentation will approach to smart home automation, and why it probably won’t start where you think it will. He will also share his best tip for taking on the automation challenge. Jeff and host Chuck Joiner are also doing a session together, talking about how to get more for your Apple (and tech) dollar. Find out the kinds of things they will be discussing and why you should attend before buying any new tech.
Next up onThe Road to Macstock Conference and Expo is a conversation with Kirschen Seah of Free Range Coder about her presentation that will focus on taking your home automation to the next level. How standards like Matter and Thread are improving compatibility with the smart home device universe will be a key aspect of the talk, along with integrating new smart home tools.
On The Road to Macstock Conference and Expo, Brett Terpstra shares some insights about his session on email management strategies. Brett emphasizes the enduring significance of email and will provide tips for efficient organization without complex scripting. While he will focus on what can be done within a given email client, there will also be mentions of third-party tools to assist.. Brett also discusses his projects, such as Bunch and nvUltra, along with his hobby of crafting demotivational inspirations.
https://youtu.be/NzRJdA-uc7E Weldon Dodd, Senior Vice President of Kandji, joins us to discuss why mobile device management (MDM) has become so important in the enterprise, and their new partnership with ServiceNow. Weldon covers why Kandji is an Apple-focused MDM...
FileMaker has announced that its database program will be free for individual users, but is that important? The MacVoices Live! panel of Dave Ginsburg, Warren Sklar, Brittany Smith, Andrew Orr, Jeff Gamet, Patrice Brend’Amour, and Eric Bolden go deep on who will...
This MacVoices Live! discussion with Andrew Orr, Jim Rea, Frank Petrie, Kelly Guimont, Jay Miller, Brittany Smith, David Ginsburg and Mark Fuccio concludes with some final thoughts on how smart home devices might benefit from a convergence of compatibility, and how...
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