Category: Podcast

Apple car and other rumors on BTNS ‘Mac Show’

April 29, 2016 /

A happy change in scheduling meant I was able to rejoin my colleagues on the British Tech Networks “The Mac Show” last week. We had a great time as usual, with the added bonus of having tech luminary Andy Ihnatko join us.

As usual, we did a lighthearted round up of the week’s Apple news, which included more rumors about an Apple car, how long Apple expects you to use its devices (and a conspiracy theory about how they might enforce that) and of course — a slew of “cool things.”

Another rumor is that I might be coming back to the show on a more regular basis. (I can neither confirm nor deny any such rumor.)

I hope you’ll give it a look.

BTN Mac Show: ‘Greenie’s Arse’ (and content blockers)

November 9, 2015 /

On the latest episode of The British Tech Network’s “Mac Show,” host Ewen Rankin was kind enough to wait for my return to discuss a topic I really wanted to discuss: Content Blockers. New to iOS 9, content blockers prevent ads from loading and stop websites from tracking you — among other things. It’s a fairly controversial subject, with advertisers (and some content creators) calling foul. I sympathize with the content creators, but increasingly obnoxious and intrusive ads have made this day inevitable. Ads that cover up what you’re trying to read and make it intentionally hard to close make reading some sites feel like a bad game of whack-a-mole. My hope is that this will be a wake up call to the ad industry, but I fear it’s just the next round in a game of cat and mouse.

There’s a lot more to the conversation — it’s worth checking out.

BTN Mac Show: ‘Trimming Back’

June 28, 2015 /

I was remiss in putting the word out about the latest Mac Show on the British Tech Network. I’d be lying if I said I remembered what we talked about, but I do recall it was a lot of fun as usual. Oh, right — I do remember talking about how I now have an Apple Watch.

My “Cool Thing” was the innerexile Glacier iPhone 6/6+ case — a slim, self-healing case that’s very, well…cool.

If you haven’t listened to The Mac Show, give it a try. It’s a fun, lighthearted conversation about some of the coolest things happening in the tech world today — and you don’t need to be an uber-geek to follow along.

‘Hanging by a thread’

March 1, 2015 /

I was a guest on the British Tech Network’s Mac Show this week, along with Chris Breen, Josh Centers, Adam Christianson and Host Ewen Rankin. We had a great time speculating on what Chris will do as he leaves Macworld for that “fruit-flavored technology company.” We also talked a lot about the Apple Watch, what Pebble’s Kickstarter project for its own smart watch means for consumer appetites, Apple’s March 9th event and other assorted nonsense.

As usual, it was a tremendous amount of fun with a great panel of smart, funny people. The Mac Show has a bright Chat Room as well, and they add a lot to the program. It’s worth listening to (and subscribing) whether you’re interested in hearing my ramblings or not.

The show can be found on the British Tech Network’s website.

Beyond Cut and Paste: 20 keyboard shortcuts that will make you a more powerful Mac user

February 13, 2015 /

In my latest article for Macworld, I explain 20 (or so) keyboard shortcuts that can make using your Mac a lot more efficient. I like to think of these at “Mac 201” rather than Mac 101, since they go beyond the most basic keyboard commands.

I’m also thinking about doing a short video on the same topic—I think it might be a little easier to convey that way (and I want to try out my video demo chops anyway.)

The article is available on the Macworld website.

Exploring Apple’s iPhone 6 and iWatch announcements on the MacJury

September 12, 2014 /

I joined TMO Alumnus Ted Landau, Joe Kissell and host Chuck Joiner on the latest edition of The MacJury. The panel pontificated on new iPhones and analyzed the long term implications of the new “i-less” offerings: Apple Pay and Apple Watch.

What makes Apple’s NFC payment system better than Google’s? (Hint: It’s about who gets to see your data.) Can southpaws get as much out of the Apple Watch as righties? (Spoiler: Yes.) These and other burning questions are answered in The MacJury’s typical light-hearted (yet oh-so-authoritative) style.

The MacJury is available as a video podcast at Apple’s iTunes Store and the MacVoices website.

‘Open vs. Closed’ and other mythical battles on The MacJury

August 20, 2013 /

I joined a panel of pretty smart pundits on the latest edition of Chuck Joiner’s MacJury podcast. We started out with a look at the “battle” between so-called Open and Closed ecosystems, including of course Android and iOS (and some thoughts on why Android is ahead of iOS in market share), and then delved into TV and movie content distribution and other tangents. As usual, it was a lively discussion that I think shed some light on some of the issues at play. Guests Peter Cohen of The Loop and iMore and Weldon Dodd of Rewind Technology were lots of fun to banter with.

The episode’s worth checking out if for no other reason that to see how much grayer my hair’s gotten since my last appearance.

‘First weekend with the iPhone 5’ on MacJury

September 28, 2012 /

You may have already heard, but Apple released some sort of new phone last week and Chuck Joiner was kind enough to ask me to talk about it on his excellent MacJury podcast.

Also on the panel were Adam Engst, publisher of TidBITs and Take Control Books, Katie Floyd, host of the Mac Power Users podcast and Mark Tuccio, principle at piqsure.com. The show focused on first impressions of Apple’s latest phone, as well as upgrade options and advice, some advice on solving battery issues with the new phone/iOS and what makes Chuck and his wife the greatest parents ever, according to Twitter.

MacJury episode 1213 is available as a free download at the MacJury website.

Macworld|iWorld appearances and more on ‘MacVoices TV’

January 23, 2012 /

The interview I did with Chuck Joiner for his MacVoicesTV podcast is up. I talk mostly about my upcoming appearances at Macworld|iWorld, including the Macworld All-Star Band at Cirque du Mac, my session on “The Geek Outdoors” and more.

The Road to Macworld | iWorld 2012 takes a Jersey turn in a conversation with Chuck La Tournous. Chuck lets us know why his geographic orientation will help him in his Macworld Rapid Fire session, talks about a little history with The Macworld All-Star Band and their appearance at this year’s Cirque du Mac party, and his credentials to talk about Parenting in the Mobile Internet Age. The conversation raps up as he leaves host Chuck Joiner in the dark (literally) with a small sample of his session on being a geek in the great outdoors.

If you see me at Macworld, please say hi. I may even have a few tickets to Cirque du Mac to hand out.

Your Mac Life: In Memoriam—Steve Jobs

October 7, 2011 /

Shawn King, host of the long-running Your Mac Life broadcast, put together an audio tribute to the memory of Steve Jobs:

Wednesday was an awful day for the Macintosh Community – Thursday was not much better. As I wondered what to do and how to do it, I came up with this idea – have friends and colleagues “Tell Me a Steve Jobs Story”. Thanks very much to all who participated and, for those of you who couldn’t do it, my apologies for not being able to fit you in.

The “audio vignettes” feature thoughts, observations and remembrances of a dozen Mac community members, including Adam and Tonya Engst, Michael T. Rose, Chris Pirillo, John Moltz and yours truly. King’s tribute is a lovely, respectful, often touching collection and I’m proud to be a part of it.

The special episode is available on iTunes or via the Your Mac Life website.