MacVoices

The MacVoices Live! panel marks the anniversary of Steve Jobs' passing with memories, reflections, and some personal encounters on his impact. Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg , Web Bixby , Marty Jencius , Brian Flanigan-Arthurs , Jeff Gamet , Eric Bolden , and Jim Rea talk about a recent warning about PayPal/Venmo scams after account linking, with debate over protections, Apple Pay safety, Zelle pitf...

The panel explores how M-series Macs—with huge unified memory and efficient silicon—are gaining traction for AI inference and on-device privacy, citing MacStadium use cases and enterprise angles like Copilot adoption. Chuck Joiner ,  David Ginsburg , Marty Jencius ,  Brian Flanigan-Arthurs ,  Eric Bolden ,  Guy Serle ,  Web Bixby ,  Jeff Gamet,   Jim Rea , and  Mark Fuccio contrast training vs. in...

Electronic Arts' $55 billion privatization sparks debate over the state of gaming. The panel examines EA's financial struggles, originality fatigue, and cinematic excess in modern titles. Chuck Joiner ,  David Ginsburg , Marty Jencius ,  Brian Flanigan-Arthurs ,  Eric Bolden ,  Guy Serle ,  Web Bixby ,  Jeff Gamet,   Jim Rea and  Mark Fuccio explore Saudi investment motives, shareholder pressures,...

The panel examines the controversy over "Tilly Norwood," an AI-generated actress, and what it means for Hollywood's future. Chuck Joiner ,  David Ginsburg , Marty Jencius ,  Brian Flanigan-Arthurs ,  Eric Bolden ,  Guy Serle ,  Web Bixby ,  Jeff Gamet,   Jim Rea , and Mark Fuccio  debate whether artificial performers threaten human creativity, explore ethical uses of AI to augment actors, and cons...

Bad Bunny has been announced as the headliner for Apple's Super Bowl Half Time Show, but the choice isn't without controversy.  Chuck Joiner ,  David Ginsburg , Marty Jencius ,  Brian Flanigan-Arthurs ,  Eric Bolden ,  Guy Serle ,  Web Bixby ,  Jeff Gamet,   Jim Rea , and  Mark Fuccio  share both thoughts and predictions, debate the evolution of half-time acts, and Apple's influence.  Today's MacV...

The panel covers Anchor's power bank recall over fire risks, debates iPhone durability and repairability, and reviews ExpressVPN's ad-supported "EventVPN." Chuck Joiner , Dave Ginsburg , Brian Flanigan-Arthurs , Jeff Gamet , Eric Bolden , Marty Jencius Jim Rea , and  Web Bixby also share travel safety tips for lithium-ion batteries, discuss Apple's design shift toward easier repairs, and joke abou...

The MacVoices Live! panel talks brand genericization ("AirPods" for all earbuds), a quirky AirPods Max fix, and first-week impressions of new Apple gear. Chuck Joiner , Dave Ginsburg , Brian Flanigan-Arthurs , Ben Roethig , Jeff Gamet , Eric Bolden , Marty Jencius Jim Rea , and  Web Bixby relate stories of iPhone 17 setup, camera zoom and landscape selfie tricks, store launch crowds, cases and scr...

The panel of Chuck Joiner, Dave Ginsburg, Brian Flanigan-Arthurs, Ben Roethig, Jeff Gamet, Eric Bolden, Marty Jencius, Jim Rea, and Web Bixby share how they use technology across personal and professional projects — from AI tools like Teams Copilot and MacWhisper to collaborative Google Slides and automation. One panel member discusses managing a massive listserv and combating spam research posts,...

Joe Kissell wraps up our conversation about Take Control of Tahoe and Mac Basics (2nd Edition) with comments on Apple's growing bundle of system apps, arguing choice is good but overload hurts usability, citing legacy tools like Stickies. He highlights Tahoe's automation boosts—Shortcuts that auto-run on triggers—and new passkey import/export for cross-manager use.  This edition of MacVoices is br...

Joe Kissell takes on Apple's latest macOS in both Take Control of Tahoe and Mac Basics (2nd Edition) , exploring the challenges of updating books for the sweeping design change introduced by Liquid Glass. They examine new apps, evolving features, and Apple's visual overhaul, debating form versus function and how users adapt to change over time. (Part 1)  Today's MacVoices is supported by TV+ Talk...

In Part 2 of our discussion, Joe Kissell , author of Take Control of Tahoe and Mac Basics (2nd Edition) , dives into Tahoe's practical upgrades. Joe talks about the fully customizable Control Center and menu bar, quick access to Reduce Transparency, and deeper iPhone integration including the Phone app on Mac with call screening, hold assist, and live translation. He critiques Spotlight's overhaul...

The MacVoices Update for 2025-09 looks back at the events of September in and around the show and discusses how MacVoices is produced and why you should check out the video version if you are an audio listener. Chuck also reviews contact preferences and delivers the monthly Support Report.  Show Notes: Support:      Become a MacVoices Patron on Patreon       http://patreon.com/macvoices      Enjoy...

The MacVoices Live! panel  reacts to Spotify's long-promised "lossless music" option, noting it trails Apple Music and Tidal, but may be "good enough" for phone/Bluetooth listeners. Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Marty Jencuis, Web Bixby, Jim Rea, Eric Bolden, Jeff Gamet, Brian Flanigan-Arthurs, and Norbert Frassa compare discovery and playlist culture (Spotify vs Apple; shout-out to Pandora), look...

The panel debates Xiaomi's iPhone-inspired 17 Pro design featuring a rear display, questioning its practicality compared to foldables and Apple's existing solutions like the Apple Watch and Dynamic Island. Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Marty Jencuis, Web Bixby, Jim Rea, Eric Bolden, Jeff Gamet, Brian Flanigan-Arthurs, and Norbert Frassa examine the new iPhone Air, discussing preorders, in-store im...

The panel covers multiple tech updates, starting with another Plex data breach and the importance of password hygiene, passkeys, and MFA. Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Marty Jencuis, Web Bixby, Jim Rea, Eric Bolden, Jeff Gamet, Brian Flanigan-Arthurs, and Norbert Frassa discuss FDA clearance for Apple Watch hypertension detection and its impact on health monitoring. The group reviews the latest Ap...

The MacVoices Live! panel of Chuck Joiner ,  David Ginsburg ,  Marty Jencuis ,  Web Bixby ,  Jim Rea ,  Eric Bolden ,  Jeff Gamet ,  Brian Flanigan-Arthurs , and  Norbert Frassa compares hardware picks and preorder adventures after Apple's event. Hosts share iPhone 17 choices, Apple Watch and AirPods buys, cases and colors, and delivery vs. in-store pickup. A sponsor spot highlights Insta360 Go Ul...

David Ginsburg continues the conversation on Apple in the enterprise, focusing on iPads as primary work devices, the balance between cost and usability, and how apps like Teams and Zoom perform. He compares iPads, Surfaces, and Chromebooks, noting Apple's growing presence in education and business. The discussion also touches on BYOD challenges, iCloud's consumer focus, and the future impact of M-...

David Ginsburg breaks down how Apple fits in large organizations: growing Mac adoption, why proper MDM makes them as secure as PCs, and how Jamf, Intune, and Azure work together. He explains Apple Business Manager and zero-touch enrollment, device lifecycle/ROI, and cloud trade-offs. They compare M-series longevity to PCs, when iPads make business sense, and why web apps and Microsoft 365 shape to...

Our discussion with Jeff Carlson about his newest release, Take Control of Your Digital Storage , continues with network-attached storage, memory cards as storage options, and the evolving challenges of digital storage. He explains practical trade-offs between direct-connect drives, NAS, and portable media, highlighting security and performance considerations. Jeff also shares his new role at CNET...

Jeff Carlson takes on the latest information in the newly updated Take Control of Your Digital Storage . Topics include choosing SSD vs HDD and NVMe, when Thunderbolt 5 matters, APFS basics, and why cables and enclosures affect speed and reliability. They cover backup strategies, OWC DIY builds, iOS/iPadOS Files support for external drives, NAS pros/cons, and even using SD cards—when it's smart, a...

A major antitrust ruling leaves Google with Chrome intact but requires limited data sharing with competitors, while Apple continues to benefit from billions in Google search placement payments. The panel of Chuck Joiner ,  David Ginsburg ,  Eric Bolden ,  Jim Rea ,  Jeff Gamet ,  Marty Jencius , and Mark Fuccio debates whether remedies punish innovation, investor reactions to the news, and privacy...

Charlotte Henry and Chuck Joiner dig into JustWatch data on August's most-watched Apple TV+ series ( Chief of War , Foundation , Invasion ) and films ( The Gorge , Killers of the Flower Moon ). They compare Apple TV+ value vs. Netflix, bundles, and "background TV." The conversation includes Apple funding riskier originals (Spike Lee/Denzel), box-office vs. streaming strategy, and a new James Corde...

The panel wraps Apple's "Awe Dropping" coverage by debating iPhone 17 hardware: new vapor-chamber cooling, bigger batteries, a widened camera "deck," triple 48MP sensors, square-format capture, brighter 3,000-nit displays, and up to 2TB storage. Chuck Joiner ,  David Ginsburg , Marty Jencius ,  Brian Flanigan-Arthurs ,  Jim Rea ,  Web Bixby ,  Eric Bolden , and  Mark Fuccio contrast AirPods' trans...

The panel continues its discussion of Apple's latest announcements from the "Awe Dropping" event, focusing on the Apple Watch Series 11, new health and sleep tracking features, and the Ultra's extended battery life. Chuck Joiner ,  David Ginsburg , Marty Jencius ,  Brian Flanigan-Arthurs ,  Jim Rea ,  Web Bixby ,  Eric Bolden , and  Mark Fuccio switch to the iPhone lineup, with debate over the new...

The first part of the MacVoices Live! panel's discussions about   Apple's latest event, dives into new AirPods with translation, heart rate monitoring, enhanced noise cancellation, and fitness tracking. Chuck Joiner ,  David Ginsburg , Marty Jencius ,  Brian Flanigan-Arthurs ,  Jim Rea ,  Web Bixby ,  Eric Bolden , and  Mark Fuccio also cover Apple Watch updates, including the SE3's expanded healt...