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

This episode focuses heavily on Apple TV 4K and Apple's reported efforts to provide original TV content. Tech journalist Josh Centers, Managing Editor for TidBITS, and author of "Take Control of Apple TV" and other titles, will explain why he is not buying the newest Apple TV. There is an extensive discussion of the state of cord-cutting, and the report that Apple has inked a deal to reboot Steve...

We present outspoken columnist John Martellaro, Senior Editor, Analysis & Reviews for The Mac Observer. This week, Gene and John have an extensive discussion about the Apple TV 4K, and 4K TV. Did you know, for example, that not all 4K movies are really 4K? They are actually upscaled HD movies, and is that why Apple got the movie studios to agree to offer them at the same price as 1080P John ex...

We present columnist Rob Pegoraro, who writes for USA Today, Yahoo Finance, Consumer Reports, Wirecutter and other publications. During this segment, Rob will discuss his recent experience driving a Cadillac CT-6 equipped with a cruise control option that allowed him to travel to Cleveland, and not have to touch the steering wheel during a long stretch on an Interstate highway. Is this a major ste...

We present outspoken commentator Peter Cohen, who, in response to Gene's search for a better deal with a wireless carrier, talks about T-Mobile, its advantages and limitations. He mentions the Band 71 issue, the new 600 MHz spectrum that T-Mobile is rolling out to some parts of he U.S., and the fact that flagship gear from Apple, Samsung and other companies are not yet compatible. The discussion m...

We present outspoken columnist and podcaster Kirk McElhearn, who talks at length about Apple's controversial changes in iTunes 12.7, in which they removed access to the App Store. This means that iPhone and iPad users will have to download and organize their apps on their mobile gear rather than Macs and PCs. With the release of a developer and public beta seed of the Golden Master of macOS High S...

We present author/publisher Joe Kissell, of Take Control Books. This segment focuses heavily on all the new books Joe and his authors have written about macOS High Sierra and iOS 11. You'll learn about the new Apple File System (APFS) and why the drives on some Macs aren't being converted by the High Sierra installer. Joe will also talk about some of the other features of macOS 10.13, which includ...

We present writer/commentator Josh Centers, Managing Editor for TidBITS, and author of "Take Control of Apple TV" and other titles, As the segment begins, Josh reveals that he's give-up smoking, as the discussion moves to Apple TV and possible missed opportunities for Apple. What about Apple's alleged attempts to persuade the movie studios to charge the same for 4K and regular HD movies? And what...

In a special encore episode, we present outspoken commentator and podcaster Peter Cohen. As part of an extensive agenda, Gene and Peter talk about self-driving technology, and what Apple might be planning. Gene will explain how air bags and seat belts helped save his life during a serious auto accident. What about the claims from Greenpeace, the environmental organization, about whether Apple is e...

We present prolific author Bob “Dr. Mac” LeVitus, who joins Gene to talk about a variety of Apple-related topics that include sage advice on dealing with the public betas of iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra. Just what are the compelling new features, and what should you do before you install them? You'll also hear talk about Google's overwhelming dominance of the search engine market, and whether it's...

We present outspoken columnist John Martellaro, Senior Editor, Analysis & Reviews for The Mac Observer. The discussion begins with the potentially costly gear Apple is expected to introduce for the fall of 2017. You'll hear the latest rumors about the iPhone 8 — 10th anniversary model — and other gear, and just how well is Apple really doing in education? Is the new iPad enough, or does Apple...

We present long-time tech journalist and editor Adam Engst, of TidBITS. The discussion begins with the recent decision by Apple to discontinue two of the three iPods still being sold, and moves on to Adobe's announcement that its Flash multimedia platform will be discontinued as of 2020. Gene and Adam will also talk about Adobe's failed efforts to create a version of Flash that can run on mobile p...

Outspoken commentator and podcaster Peter Cohen talks with Gene about Apple's sudden decision to discontinue the iPod Nano and the iPod Shuffle, leaving the iPod touch as the only model left in a product lineup that debuted in 2001 and changed Apple's direction. There's a lengthy discussion about the announced decision of Foxconn — who builds iPhones and other Apple gadgets in China — to open up a...

Commentator Bryan Chaffin, co-founder and co-publisher of The Mac Observer, considers the Apple rumor front, where speculation continues about a rumored iPhone 8 and the alleged problems Apple might be having in finalizing the design for production. But are such reports made by or influenced by bloggers who have been inspired by Apple's competitors? What about the tepid updates for Apple TV? Has t...

Columnist and blogger Kirk McElhearn talks with Gene about the future of technology books. Are printed computer books dead? What about sharply targeted eBooks that focus on the topics tech savvy people are interested in. What about magazines devoted to Apple? Is Apple now too mainstream to require separate publications?  The discussion also covers the end of the platform wars, and the hazards of r...

On this week's all-star episode, ransomware is back in the news as the "Petya" ransomware attack affected 12,000 computers in 65 countries including the U.S. This time an infected software update seems to be to blame for the breach. So if you cannot even trust a software update any more, how are you supposed to keep your documents and computer safe from hackers?  You'll hear the answers from secur...

We present outspoken commentator and podcaster Peter Cohen. As part of an extensive agenda, Gene and Peter talk about self-driving technology, and what Apple might be planning. Gene will explain how air bags and seat belts helped save his life during a serious auto accident. What about the claims from Greenpeace, the environmental organization, about whether Apple is engaged in planned obsolescenc...

On this week's all-star episode, we present outspoken commentator and podcaster Kirk McElhearn, also known as Macworld's "iTunes Guy." During this episode, Gene will recount his frightening experience, when his car was totaled as a result of being struck at high speed by a truck. The discussion continues with Kirk's progress report on his home-built faux Mac clone, which is usually referred to as...

We present long-time tech journalist and editor Adam Engst, of TidBITS. During this segment, Gene and Adam will have an extensive discussion about Apple's forthcoming professional Macs, the iMac Pro and the new Mac Pro. Is the iMac Pro, which will start at $4,999 when it debuts in December, overpriced compared to the competition? Will a decked out version cost as much as a compact car? You'll be s...

We focus on one of the most important keynotes from Apple Inc. in recent years, at their 2017 Worldwide Developer's Conference (WWDC). During this event, new operating systems for the iPhone, the iPad, the Mac, the Apple TV and the Apple Watch were demonstrated. You'll hear about some of the important new features, such as how iOS 11 will make the iPad work more like a Mac in handling productivity...

On this week's all-star episode, we feature outspoken columnist/podcaster Kirk McElhearn, also known as Macworld's "iTunes Guy." This week Gene and Kirk talk briefly about the iTunes movie bundle sales, where you can buy 10 movies for $2 each, or individual movies for $5. Do those bundles provide top quality movies, or just a mixture of the good and the not-so-good? You'll also hear fearless predi...

We feature outspoken commentator/podcaster Peter Cohen. During this segment, Gene will discuss his efforts to get decent support from AT&T wireless, which involved multiple phone calls, and frustrating encounters with more than 20 different reps. Did he finally succeed? Gene and Peter will also discuss the prospects for new Mac notebooks at Apple's 2017 WWDC developer event in June. And what a...

We feature commentator/podcaster Jeff Gamet, Managing Editor for The Mac Observer. Gene and Jeff do a pop culture segment, anticipating the movie version of "Wonder Woman," the introduction of General Zod on the "Supergirl" TV show, and other movie and TV-related topics. The tech segment will cover expectations for Mac notebook upgrades at the 2017 WWDC in June, whether actor Jeff Goldblum might h...

On this week's all-star episode, we feature tech columnist Rob Griffiths. Rob will introduce you to the fascinating world of the "Hackintosh," the process of installing macOS on a generic home-built PC. He made the decision to build one because Apple isn't selling the Mac of his dreams, which in this case means a personal computer capable of stellar gaming performance. He goes through the process...

On this week's all-star episode, we feature author/editor Josh Centers, Managing Editor for TidBITS, and author of "Take Control of Apple TV" and other titles. After discussing the 27th anniversary of TidBITS, Gene and Josh talk about the controversial moves from ride-sharing giant Uber and the prospects for its main rival, Lyft. Gene provides personal experiences with both, but will Uber's plans...

We feature prolific author Joe Kissell, who will discuss the third edition of "Take Control of Your Online Privacy." You'll hear hints and tips on ongoing threats, including the fallout from the decision by the U.S. Congress, signed by the President, to allow ISPs to sell your online history to third-party providers. Are there ways to protect yourself against this and other invasions of your priva...