Tag Archives for podcasts

Farm Trout!

That’s what we used to say in high school in the midwest when we meant “far out!” So what is so “farm trout” this Labor Day (in the U.S.)? If you are of the geeky persuasion, you probably already know that Apple is having its first fall event of 2022 this coming Wednesday, September 7. The title is “Far out.”

It will ostensibly be the iPhone 14 announcement. According to rumors, we’ll also see the Apple Watch Series 8. There may be some other related accessories and/or services updates announced but we won’t know for sure until we hear it from Apple. I’m hoping for an Apple TV+ segment where the start date of the third season of Ted Lasso is announced.

There are many places on the web where you can get a geeky analysis of the many rumors and leaks. But in just two days Apple will tell us what they want us to know. So, I say chill out and wait. Maybe go fishing on this U.S. holiday. Then plan to watch it on Wednesday.

There are several ways to watch. YouTube is one. There is already a posting set up for the live event.

You can also watch on any desktop/laptop browser (Mac or Windows) from Apple’s website. Some hardware restrictions apply, but any fairly recent computer should work.

You can watch in the TV app on any Apple device (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, and AppleTV, but not Apple Watch). There’s not a placeholder in the app yet, but if you search for “apple event” on September 7 before 10:00 a.m. PDT, it should be there.

You can also watch in the TV app on any smart TV or other set-top boxes that have the app installed (like a Roku box or Amazon Fire TV box or stick).

So, pick your favorite or most convenient streaming platform and watch it live, if you are interested. I’ll be watching while at my work desk unless I get sick and have to stay home. 😉

If you miss the live stream, you can watch it after the fact from most of these sources and in the Apple Podcasts app. It usually only takes Apple a few minutes after the live stream is over to get the on-demand video posted.

Then throughout the rest of the day and week, there will be a plethora of analysis from numerous blogs, tech news sites, and podcasts. Here are some of my favorites:

Enjoy!

My Favorite Things

Part 1: Podcasts

Sometime in the first couple of months of the 2020 pandemic shelter-at-home period, my wife and I rewatched one of our favorite movie musicals of all time, The Sound of Music. Every time I see it my heart is filled with euphoria at the sweet sound of Julie Andrews’ voice as she masterfully delivers unforgettable song after song. One of those songs, sung to the Von Trapp children on her first night as governess to calm their fears during a late-winter thunderstorm, is titled, “My Favorite Things”.*

The practice of listing things to be grateful for is a recommendation for dealing with the stress and uncertainty of these times. So I thought I’d take a cue from that song and make a series of blog posts on some of my favorite things related to Apple specifically and technology in general. In this first part, I’d like to share with you three of my favorite podcasts for Apple-related news, tips, and knowledge.

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Mac OS  Ken

Independently produced by Ken Ray, Mac OS Ken is a commute-sized, weekday podcast recapping the previous day’s tech news as it relates to Apple. Ken’s delivery is infused with his unique wit and dry humor, making even the stock market numbers enjoyable and understandable.

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Mac Geek Gab

The Mac Observer’s Mac Geek Gab podcast is my go-to listen for tips, geeky information, and new software and gadgets. Co-hosted by Dave Hamilton and John F. Braun, it’s about 90 minutes long and episodes usually drop every Monday.

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MacVoices

Chuck Joiner, the host and face of MacVoices, has been involved in the Apple ecosphere for decades and has been a mainstay of my podcast subscription list since I became aware of podcasts. I like MacVoices for the broader community perspective and understanding I receive from his guests. Chuck interviews influential “voices” from all parts of the technology world that orbit around Apple; software developers, hardware inventors, tech journalists, bloggers, other podcast hosts, special event and trade show coordinators, consultants, publishers, etc. MacVoices episodes run about 30 minutes or so and are published regularly, but not on a set schedule.

So, if you have a hankerin’ to learn more about Apple news, want to brush up on geek tips and gadgets, or broaden your understanding of the Apple ecosphere, you can’t go wrong with these three podcasts.

*By the way, “My Favorite Things” is not really a Christmas song, even though many musical artists have covered it on their Christmas albums over the past 60+ years. First, in the chronology of the musical, it was sung in late February or early March 1938. Second, the lyrics don’t mention Christmas at all. There are references to mittens, packages, sleigh bells, snowflakes, and winter—all of which could be inferred to be images related to Christmas, but could just as easily not.

I’ve Been Vectorized

Periodically I will share some of my favorite websites, podcasts, videos, and/or blogs I follow to learn about the Apple-centric tech-o-sphere. This is one of those posts. The last time I posted about a podcast was back in October of 2016 after I discovered The Checklist. Today, I’d like to tell you about Vector.

T-Shirt, pin, and stickers with Vector logo

My new Vector T-shirt, pin, and stickers on the dining room table.

Vector is what I call a three-in-one resource by Rene Ritchie from iMore. It’s videos, a podcast, and a blog (or series of articles, if you wish) where Mr. Ritchie provides insight into the world of Apple technology with short, palatable, and entertaining morsels of online media. I say “three-in-one” because his content is provided in any of the three ways in which you want to consume it — as a blog (or article) you read, as a podcast you listen to, or as a video that you watch. I personally subscribe to the Vector channel on YouTube, but you can read, listen, or watch right on iMore.

His latest posts (as of this writing) are reviews of the Watch Series 4 and the iPhone XS and XS Max. They are a little longer than his usual five to 15 minutes, but well worth a look/listen if you are at all interested in the new hardware that Apple introduced on September 12, 2018.

So, check out Vector and let me know what you think in the comments below. As Rene would say, “Thank you so much for reading.”

New Mac Security Podcast

Greetings Mac users!

I recently started listening to a new podcast focused on Mac and iOS security called, The Checklist. It’s hosted by Ken Ray (of the daily Mac OS Ken podcast) with security geeks Nicholas Raba and Nicholas Ptacek of SecureMac, Inc  It’s been going for about seven weeks now and I thought some of you may be interested in the content. Each episode is fairly short (approximately 30 minutes), and covers a short, five-item checklist of security-related steps.

Even if your not a podcast listener, the content of each week’s list is freely available for you to read on the episode’s web page. Episodes that have aired so far cover these topics:

I am really enjoying the podcast and you might find some timely information for your daily Macintosh computing. A new episode comes out every Thursday.

Happy listening (or reading),
Bazza