The Road to Macstock takes a serious turn as Mike T. Rose previews his workshop on becoming a digital caretaker for family members and loved ones. Mike discusses scams targeting older adults, password sharing, remote support, Apple Passwords, financial preparedness, and the need to balance protection, respect, independence, and trust when helping others manage their digital lives. 

Today’s edition of MacVoices is supported by MacVoices Live!, our weekly live panel discussion of what is going in the Apple space as well as the larger tech world, and how it is impacting you. Join us live at YouTube.com/MacVoicesTV at 8 PM Eastern 5 PM Pacific, or whatever time that is wherever you are and participate in the chat, or catch the edited and segmented versions of the show on the regular MacVoices channels and feeds.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Mike T. Rose on the Road to Macstock
00:59 Remembering Mike stepping in during a past conference
02:12 Mike reflects on filling in and returning to MacStock
03:00 Speaker continuity and community expectations
04:23 Staying healthy before the conference
04:52 Mike introduces his workshop format
05:12 Stepping into the role of a digital caretaker
06:48 A Microsoft Office upgrade reveals a bigger issue
08:39 A family member is caught by a Venmo scam
09:19 Managing risks, passwords, and financial access
10:11 Using built-in Apple tools instead of advanced services
10:25 Safari, Chrome, verification codes, and Apple Passwords
10:57 Setting up shared family password folders
11:29 Defining digital caretaking
12:39 The family “alpha nerd” becomes responsible
14:11 Remote tech support challenges and FaceTime troubleshooting
16:01 Asynchronous support, screenshots, and remote access tools
17:57 Older adults as prime targets for scammers
18:53 AARP, Craig Newmark, and scam-interruption resources
19:51 Gift cards, retail workers, and scam warning signs
20:35 Deepfakes, safe words, and trusted contacts
21:40 Fake profiles and stolen valor scams
22:48 Protecting family members from criminal targeting
23:25 Romance scams, business scams, and phishing tactics
25:02 Keeping loved ones safe without burning out
26:09 The Beekeeper as a scam-awareness example
27:07 Recommended resources and My Mother’s Money
28:18 Financial preparedness and how quickly gaps appear
29:39 Using AI tools to find validated resources
30:18 Why this workshop may matter to everyone
31:02 The future reversal of helper and helped
33:00 Balancing safety, respect, and autonomy
34:00 Managing support while preserving dignity
36:23 Mike’s MacStock discount code
37:01 Registering for MacStock and planning ahead
38:14 Where to find Mike T. Rose and The Aftershow
39:29 Mike’s social channels and listener acknowledgments
40:17 Remembering John Martellaro and Chuck La Tournous
41:22 Final Macstock encouragement and wrap-up

Guests:

Mike Rose is a past Macstock speaker and multi-year attendee. He is an occasional podcaster with fellow Macstock speaker Kelly Guimont at aftershowpodcast.com, continuing their collaboration from the much-missed TUAW.com (The Unofficial Apple Weblog) in the 2000s and 2010s.

Mike began his technology career at the dawn of the desktop publishing revolution, helping transform workflows and introduce the Mac at Entertainment Weekly and LIFE magazines in the 1990s. After his second career in the event production and sales training industry (working with clients such as Pfizer, Dell, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, and Deloitte), he pivoted to enterprise software in 2013 and is now a Senior Director of Solution Engineering at Salesforce.

Outside of work, Mike is active in an NYC community choir, and supports his wife Heidi’s congregation as a volunteer technology, AV and operations consultant. Mike & Heidi live in Brooklyn, NY with their two young adult daughters and one young adult cat.

Catch him on The Aftershow with Kelly Guimont.

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