Only hours after Apple’s Wonderlust Event wrapped up, a MacVoices Live! super panel of Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Patrice Brend’Amour,Jim Rea, Brian Flanigan-Arthurs, Web Bixby, Eric Bolden, Jeff Gamet, Mark Fuccio, Kelly Guimont, Ben Roethig, and Guy Serle started a lively conversation that kicked off with the Apple Watch. Thoughts on upgrading to the Series 9 and the newly introduced Apple Watch Ultra, the appeal of new features like the Double Tap gesture and precision finding and Siri improvements are offered. Opinions on cellular vs. GPS-only watch options and the secret upgrades to AirPods Pro were also shared before the discussion of Apple's green initiatives began. (Part 1) 

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Show Notes:

Chapters:

0:09:27 Interest and Research on Apple Watch Series 9 0:11:47 Patrice's Considerations on Upgrading and Apple Product Lifestyle 0:14:17 Accessibility Gesture and Features on Apple Watch Series 9 0:16:14 Considering switch to Ultra 2 for its new features 0:16:55 Considering Upgrading to a Larger Screen and Ultra 0:20:21 Upgrading to the Ultra 2 for Bigger Screen and Battery Life 0:23:00 Siri's capabilities falling behind competitors, but hardware improvements suggest a leap ahead 0:25:00 Super Siri karaoke and transitioning to another watch discussion topic 0:25:34 Cellular vs GPS: Personal Preferences Explored 0:27:05 Performance of Watch on AT&T Line 0:28:25 Mint Mobile's Limitation on Cellular for Non-Phone Devices 0:29:15 Free Money for Apple and Carriers 0:31:13 The Secret AirPods Pro Upgrade 0:34:55 Apple's eco-friendly efforts and the impact on the market 0:36:39 Mixed reactions to the environmental focus of the presentation 0:38:44 Praise for Apple's efforts and Tim Cook's acting

Guests:

Web Bixby has been in the insurance business for 40 years and has been an Apple user for longer than that.You can catch up with him on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Eric Bolden is into macOS, plants, sci-fi, food, and is a rural internet supporter. You can connect with him on Twitter, by email at [email protected], on Mastodon at @[email protected], and on his blog, Trending At Work.

Patrice Brend’amour is the creator, advocate and Product Manager of a global healthcare software initiative, which is not only pushing the industry to provide user-centered solutions using the latest advances in UX and technology, but also advancing the sharing of medical information between healthcare providers across the world. She is also an avid podcaster, mainly in the technology space, as well as a maintainer and contributor to a number of open source projects. Everything she does can be linked to from The Patrice, You can follow her on Twitter, and engage with her on the podcast, Foodie Flashback.

Brian Flanigan-Arthurs is an educator with a passion for providing results-driven, innovative learning strategies for all students, but particularly those who are at-risk. He is also a tech enthusiast who has a particular affinity for Apple since he first used the Apple IIGS as a student. You can contact Brian on twitter as @brian8944. He also recently opened a Mastodon account at @[email protected].

Mark Fuccio is actively involved in high tech startup companies, both as a principle at piqsure.com, or as a marketing advisor through his consulting practice Tactics Sells High Tech, Inc. Mark was a proud investor in Microsoft from the mid-1990's selling in mid 2000, and hopes one day that MSFT will be again an attractive investment. You can contact Mark through Twitter, LinkedIn, or on Mastodon.

Jeff Gamet is a technology blogger, podcaster, author, and public speaker. Previously, he was The Mac Observer’s Managing Editor, and the TextExpander Evangelist for Smile. He has presented at Macworld Expo, RSA Conference, several WordCamp events, along with many other conferences. You can find him on several podcasts such as The Mac Show, The Big Show, MacVoices, Mac OS Ken, This Week in iOS, and more. Jeff is easy to find on social media as @jgamet on Twitter and Instagram, jeffgamet on LinkedIn., @[email protected] on Mastodon, and on his YouTube Channel at YouTube.com/jgamet.

David Ginsburg is the host of the weekly podcast In Touch With iOS where he discusses all things iOS, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch, and related technologies. He is an IT professional supporting Mac, iOS and Windows users. Visit his YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/daveg65 and find and follow him on Twitter @daveg65 and on Mastodon at @[email protected]

Kelly Guimont is a podcaster and friend of the Rebel Alliance. You can also hear her on The Aftershow with Mike Rose, and she still has more to say which she saves for Twitter and Mastodon. 

Jim Rea built his own computer from scratch in 1975, started programming in 1977, and has been an independent Mac developer continuously since 1984. He is the founder of ProVUE Development, and the author of Panorama X, ProVUE's ultra fast RAM based database software for the macOS platform. He’s been a speaker at MacTech, MacWorld Expo and other industry conferences. Follow Jim at provue.com and via @[email protected] on Mastodon.

Ben Roethig has been in the Apple Ecosystem since the System 7 Days. He is the a former Associate Editor with Geek Beat, Co-Founder of The Tech Hangout and Deconstruct and currently shares his thoughts on RoethigTech. Contact him on  Twitter and Mastodon.

Guy Serle, best known for being one of the co-hosts of the MyMac Podcast, sincerely apologizes for anything he has done or caused to have happened while in possession of dangerous podcasting equipment. He should know better but being a blonde from Florida means he's probably incapable of understanding the damage he has wrought. Guy is also the author of the novel, The Maltese Cube. You can follow his exploits on Twitter, catch him on Mac to the Future on Facebook, at @[email protected], and find everything at VertShark.com.

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00:09:27 Interest and Research on Apple Watch Series 9 00:11:47 Patrice's Considerations on Upgrading and Apple Product Lifestyle 00:14:17 Accessibility Gesture and Features on Apple Watch Series 9 00:16:14 Considering switch to Ultra 2 for its new features 00:16:54 Considering Upgrading to a Larger Screen and Ultra 00:20:20 Upgrading to the Ultra 2 for Bigger Screen and Battery Life 00:23:00 Siri's capabilities falling behind competitors, but hardware improvements suggest a leap ahead 00:24:59 Super Siri karaoke and transitioning to another watch discussion topic 00:25:33 Cellular vs GPS: Personal Preferences Explored 00:27:04 Performance of Watch on AT&T Line 00:28:24 Mint Mobile's Limitation on Cellular for Non-Phone Devices 00:29:15 Free Money for Apple and Carriers 00:31:12 The Secret AirPods Pro Upgrade 00:34:54 Apple's eco-friendly efforts and the impact on the market 00:36:38 Mixed reactions to the environmental focus of the presentation 00:38:44 Praise for Apple's efforts and Tim Cook's acting