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.
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.
Lee Garrett, owner of ScreenCastsOnline, shares how he took over from founder Don McAllister, maintained quality, and evolved the platform’s content strategy. From balancing app and OS coverage to expanding on YouTube, Garrett explains his approach, future goals, and dedication to community while keeping the service’s educational mission strong.
In a first for both The Road to Macstock and Macstock Conference and Expo itself, Marty Jencius and his son Will Jencius team up for a father-son presentation on travel tech, inspired by their podcast Gear Up and Go. They share how tech frustrations while traveling sparked the idea, how two generations bring different perspectives to gear choices, and what attendees can expect from their interactive, audience-involving session.
In the final installment of the MacVoices Live! WWDC 2025 coverage, the panel explores Apple’s latest innovations across Maps, Apple Music, live translation, and Vision Pro. Discussions include the practical benefits of pinned playlists and AutoMix, personalized navigation in Maps, and the long-awaited shared spatial experiences in Vision Pro. Chuck Joiner, Brittany Smith,Marty Jencius, Ben Roethig, Eric Bolden, and Brian Flanigan-Arthurs also touch on translation through AirPods, Continuity upgrades, and new input options for Vision Pro like styluses and VR controllers.
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)
The MacVoices Live! panel took on the task of analyzing Apple’s WWDC 2025 keynote, focusing on meaningful updates across iPadOS, Vision Pro, macOS, and iOS. Discussions included the new Liquid Glass interface, cross-platform consistency, and practical enhancements driven by Apple Intelligence. Panelists Chuck Joiner, David Ginsbug, Brittany Smith, Marty Jencius, Ben Roethig, Jeff Gamet, Eric Bolden, and Brian Flanigan-Arthurs debated the usefulness of iPad improvements, praised the Preview app’s arrival on more devices, and examined accessibility implications. Before all that, the group paid tribute to Bill Atkinson, recognizing his pivotal role in Apple’s legacy.
This Road to Macstock Conference and Expo has a familiar face: David Ginsburg has been a consistent presence at Macstock since the conference started up. Dave previews his presentation on Apple screen capture tools, highlighting apps like Snagit, Camtasia, and CleanShot X with an emphasis on practical use cases, cross-platform support, and integration with video workflows.
The MacVoices panel dives into the latest developments in the ongoing Epic vs. Apple legal dispute, and even had a little breaking news at recording time. The discussion then shifts to Apple’s updated Sports app and its personalized newsletter, highlighting user experiences and subscription quirks. Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Brian Flanigan-Arthurs, Jim Rea, Marty Jencius, Eric Bolden, and Mark Fuccio also review a RevenueCat study suggesting that allowing web-based purchases may hurt conversion rates. A broader conversation explores trust, convenience, and security in choosing between App Store and third-party purchases across both macOS and iOS platforms.
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.
On The Road to Macstock Conference and Expo Brett Terpstra previews his upcoming talk on Mastodon, highlighting its benefits over traditional social media platforms. He provides some thoughts on how to choose the right server, migrate accounts, and even host your own instance for better control. The session aims to guide users through Mastodon’s structure and community, helping them get the most out of the platform while eliminating confusion. Brett also shares why he’s left most other platforms behind in favor of Mastodon and Facebook.
Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Marty Jencius, Mark Fuccio, Eric Bolden, Jim Rea, and Jeff Gamet continue the of discussion the latest developments in the Epic vs. Apple legal battle. Adding to the court order is a recent interview with Epic CEO Tim Sweeney and his portrayal of his company as a defender of developers and seemingly contradictory statements about Apple vs. Epic’s ambitions. and scrutinizes his recent interview. Thoughts on whether average users will even notice the changes and what comes next are topped off by Meta’s entry into the platform power debate.
The MacVoices Live! panel of Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Marty Jencius, Mark Fuccio, Eric Bolden, Jim Rea, and Jeff Gamet analyze the latest developments in the Epic vs. Apple lawsuit, focusing on Judge Gonzalez’s criticism of Apple’s failure to enable alternate payment options in good faith. Allegations of perjury against an Apple executive and the company’s strategic missteps take center stage. The group debates Apple’s App Store fee structure, the role of government oversight, and whether developers will embrace the new rules or remain cautious.
The panel of Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Brian Flanigan-Arthurs, Marty Jencius, and Eric Bolden discuss Tim Cook’s strategic influence in securing tariff exemptions, highlighting his low-key leadership style focused on Apple’s interests. They explore updates to Apple’s Sports app, praising its clean interface and new sharing features. The conversation shifts to Meta’s redaction failure in a legal case, questioning whether it was incompetence or intentional, and emphasizing the importance of proper document security.
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