The Tech Night Owl LIVE — Tech Radio with a Pop Culture Twist!

Gene presents a regular, tech podcaster and commentator Kirk McElhearn, who comes aboard to talk about the impact of the outbreak of data hacks and ways to protect your stuff with strong passwords. He'll also provide a common sense if unsuspected tip in setting one up. Also on the agenda, rumors about the next Mac mini from Apple. Will it, as rumored, be a visual clone of the Apple TV, and what are he limitations of such a form factor? As a sci-fi and fantasy fan, Kirk will also talk about some of his favorite stories and more. In is regular life, Kirk is a lapsed New Yorker living in Shakespeare’s home town, Stratford-upon-Avon, in the United Kingdom. He writes about things, records podcasts, makes photos, practices zen, and cohabits with cats. He’s an amateur photographer, and shoots with Leica cameras and iPhones. His writings include regular contributions to The Mac Security Blog, The Literature & Latte Blog, and TidBITS, and he has written for Popular Photography, MusicWeb International, as well as several other web sites and magazines. Kirk has also written more than two dozen books and documentation for dozens of popular Mac apps, as well as press releases, web content, reports, white papers, and more.

Gene introduces Alex Serban COO of Reflector Media. He'll talk about its decision to acquire a long-time Mac news and views site, macobserver.com. At the time of the purchase, Serban says the site had been confronting hard times and losing money. After the purchase, it has grown four times, restored to its rightful place and become one of the most read Apple-centric websites. In addition to talking about Apple gear and some support issues, he'll describe how Google has changed and what's happening with its support of AI. Gene will discuss his issues with an iMac and a Fusion Drive, and a flaky set of PowerBeats Pro earbuds. Before Reflector Media bought a Mac site, it founded windowsreport.com. According to Serban, the site has has grown to become one of the most important websites when it comes to Windows coverage, reaching millions of Windows enthusiasts. Other sites include vpncentral.com.

Gene presents a return visit from AI wizard Ed Watal. On the agenda is the troubling topic of whether AI will someday surpass human intelligence. He talks about the uncertain timeline of when this might happen, whether it’s imminent or will occur some time in the foreseeable future. In reviewing AI’s potentials, what about its limitations, such as the lack of human-like intelligence and adaptability? There are also ethical considerations, about bias and transparency and control. How will scientists safeguard AI against misuse? Another compelling question is the human/AI collaboration, the methods in which both can work together productively. Watal is the founder and principal of Intellibus, an INC 5000 Top 100 Software firm based in Reston, Virginia. He regularly serves as a board advisor to the world’s largest financial institutions. C-level executives rely on him for IT strategy & architecture due to his business acumen & deep IT knowledge. One of Ed’s key projects includes BigParser (an Ethical AI Platform and an A Data Commons for the World).

Tech commentator Kirk McElhearn joins Gene to explain the ins and outs of Apple’s Intelligence, its answer to the AI revolution. More or less. He also covers such subjects as the failures of Siri plus the Apple Watch’s health features and their value. And what about the 5G revolution? Was it all mostly a hype to bring profits to mobile phone companies? There is also a brief discussion about the value of editing documents printed on paper rather than on your computer’s display. In is regular life, Kirk is a lapsed New Yorker living in Shakespeare’s home town, Stratford-upon-Avon, in the United Kingdom. He writes about things, records podcasts, makes photos, practices zen, and cohabits with cats. He’s an amateur photographer, and shoots with Leica cameras and iPhones. His writings include regular contributions to, and TidBITS, and he has written for Popular Photography, MusicWeb International, as well as several other web sites and magazines. Kirk has also written more than two dozen books, including Take Control books about macOS Media Apps (post iTunes), Scrivener, LaunchBar, and Audio Hijack. He has written documentation for dozens of popular Mac apps, as well as press releases, web content, reports, white papers, and more.

Gene welcomes AI guru Dev Nag, CEO of QueryPal, a leading technology company, to talk about the ethical dilemmas of generative AI. The topics include: Bias and fairness, originality and authorship when it comes to AI producing creative content, deepfakes and misinformation from malicious actors, and the future of work. In the last, is there the danger of AI replacing human workers in some fields? Over the years, Gene has worked in fields that are no longer viable. Dev Nag has a long history in technology, which includes stints at Google, eBay and PayPal. As an undergrad and medical student, he was a technical leader on the Stanford Health Information Network for Education (SHINE) project, which provided the first integrated medical portal at the point of care.

Learn the ins and outs of podcasting as Gene presents K-Town. If you really want to become what might develop into a radio star, you'll learn lots of insights into how to get started, the equipment you need, with the emphasis on affordability, and where to have it hosted to make it easily available across Planet Earth. K-Town produces several podcasts, including Mysterious Radio, Paranormal Fears, and Seven. She has been making podcasts since 2016, inspired by her love for talk radio and discussions on subjects of the weird and unexplained. K-Town is also a military veteran who served eight years in the Army. She is the proud mother of one son and currently resides in East Tennessee.

AI guru Ed Watal joins Gene to talk about the focus and very real shortcomings of Apple's new Apple Intelligence initiative, introduced at the June 2024 Worldwide Developer's Conference (WWDC). He discusses some of the key elements of Apple's software release and versioning strategy, and the limited launch of its AI technology, which arrived in beta, only available in U.S. English for a select few platforms that are also in early developer condition, including iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia. He points out that the tech expert community wasn't impressed, particularly with the limited launch and lack of Siri integration. Worse, over 90% of current iPhone users are excluded, raising questions about inclusivity in Apple's AI strategy. What about Apple's reliance on OpenAI's ChatGPT for much of the technology, and how does that help Apple pave its own way in developing a secure and user friendly implementation of AI? Watal is the founder and principal of Intellibus, an IT strategy consultancy.

Digital marketing and media expert Tom Lavecchia talks to Gene about the history of search, including Yahoo and the rise and dominance of Google. He provides insights on a rapidly evolving trend that's poised to disrupt the search engine landscape: TikTok Search. With over a billion active users, TikTok's search functionality is gaining traction, and La Vecchia believes it has the potential to challenge Google's dominance, resulting in an erosion of its overwhelming market share. He focuses on TikTok's visual search short-form video format that, he says, revolutionizes how we search and consume information. In emphasizing TikTok's potential, he explains that its user base is skewing younger, with 70% of online teens aged 13-17 using the platform. As this generation grows, according to Lavecchia, their search habits will shape the future of online discovery. He also talks about the growing impact of AI and how it'll impact a number of industries. Is it a good thing or not? This is a fascinating look at our online search future, an episode you won't want to miss. Here's a link to his views on the subject: https://thedigestonline.com/nj/how-new-jersey-businesses-can-leverage-tiktok/

Gene presents a special appearance by his son, Grayson Steinberg, the original cohost for The Tech Night Owl LIVE. Grayson and Gene will bring you up to date on how they created their sci-fi book series, “Attack of the Rockoids and the various approaches of providing technology in school systems. Grayson first began to write while still in grade school, beginning with short plays performed by his classmates, and also wrote a number of short science fiction and fantasy stories, both for his schoolwork and on his own time. He also wrote two guest articles for his dad’s “Mac Reality Check” column from the 1990s. One of those articles, “Why Every Kid Needs a Mac,” was quoted worldwide, and was featured as a “Hot News” story by Apple Computer. In his working life, Grayson is a freelance digital learning designer, editor, and former ESL teacher, and is  pursuing a diploma in instructional design through the Digital Learning Institute. He is passionate about board games, science fiction and fantasy novels, and theater. Fluent in Spanish, Grayson is studying German and Portuguese to achieve his lifelong goal of becoming a polyglot. He has called Madrid, Spain his home for the past decade and a half.

USDA-Certified Geek™ Bryan Chaffin, a frequent guest on the original version of The Tech Night Owl LIVE over the years, is the author of SciFi thriller "Accidental Intelligence." On the menu for this episode is a review of the goings on at Apple Inc. over the past five years, and how the products have changed. And what about Bryan's Apple Vision Pro? What does he use it for? Does he use it? Does Bryan think that Apple has deserted the professional market in favor of consumers and prosumers? What about Apple's approach to AI? In a past life, he was the cofounder and co-publisher of The Mac Observer (TMO), and he's the host of The Context Machine podcast. Bryan wrote about Apple and technology for more than 22 years, and continues to take an active interest. He has contributed to many "For Dummies" books, and co-authored "iPad for Dummies - 11th Edition" with Bob "Dr. Mac" LeVitus. When Gene and Bryan get together on the show, there's always plenty to catch up on and lots of thought-provoking comments to consider.