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

On this week's all-star episode, we focus on the latest tech news and views from Apple and other companies with a special emphasis on Windows 8, and the tepid early reaction to Microsoft's efforts to establish what they call the PC+ era. You'll hear from veteran tech columnist Ted Landau, who writes for The Mac Observer and Macworld, usability guru Jakob Nielsen, who has actually put Windows 8 through a series of intense tests with a panel of experienced PC users, and Avram Piltch, the Online Editorial Director of Laptop magazine.

On this week's all-star episode, cutting-edge commentator Daniel Eran Dilger, of Roughly Drafted Magazine and AppleInsider, discusses the recent departure of Steve Sinofsky, the President of the Windows Division at Microsoft, and the problems the company may be facing with Windows 8 and the Surface tablet. Adrian Hoppel, who writes a weekly column for Mac|Life called "Law & Apple," discusses Apple's recent patent licensing settlement with HTC and how that deal might impact ongoing lawsuits involving Samsung and other companies. You'll also be introduced to a powerful new Mac diagnostic app, Checkmate, in a special interview with Micromat's Jeff Baudin.

On this week's all-star episode, we'll focus on some of the great new tech gadgets introduced for the holiday season, including Apple's iPad mini and the fourth generation iPad, the Windows Surface RT tablet, Windows 8, and gear from Amazon and Google. Along with their forthright opinions on these and other topics will be Stephen Baker, Vice President for Industry Analysis at the NPD Group, and Michael Prospero, Reviews Editor for Laptop magazine.

On this week's all-star episode, we bring on board Kirk McElhearn, Macworld's "iTunes Guy," to discuss the rapid disappearance of optical drives from new Macs. He'll also talk briefly about Apple's recent executive shakeup. Jim Galbraith, the Lab Director for Macworld, details the benchmarks of the recent Apple products that he's tested, and his plans for evaluating the latest mobile gadgets. From Adrian Hoppel, who writes a weekly column for Mac|Life called "Law & Apple," presents his unfiltered opinion about the impending departure of Apple VP Scott Forstall, the latest news about Apple's legal wrangling with Google and other companies. During this session, you'll also hear Gene's early observations after installing Windows 8.

On this week's all-star episode, we cover an extremely busy week in the tech world. At a special media event, Apple introduced the iPad mini, a new iPad refresh, plus several Macs, including a slimmed down iMac. Despite record sales, Wall Street gave Apple some lumps because iPad sales came in one or two million units below analyst expectations. Meanwhile, Microsoft launched Windows 8 and the Surface tablet. Along to discuss these and other tech issues are: John Martellaro, Senior Editor, Analysis & Reviews for The Mac Observer, cutting-edge commentator Daniel Eran Dilger, of Roughly Drafted Magazine and AppleInsider, and Avram Piltch, the Online Editorial Director of Laptop magazine.

On this week's all-star episode, tech journalist Rob Pegoraro, who writes for USA Today and other publications, covers such subjects as satellite Internet, broadband Internet performance, the possibilities for the iPad mini, the impending arrival of Windows 8 and the Microsoft Surface tablet. Joe Wilcox, Managing Editor of BetaNews, covers the Windows 8 issues, the introduction of the Surface tablet, and Apple's possible plans for the iPad mini and other expected new products.

On this week's all-star episode, commentator Jim Dalrymple, Editor in Chief of The Loop, discusses the latest news and views about Apple and Microsoft. Will the really be an iPad mini, and how real is the Microsoft Surface tablet? From Michael Prospero, Reviews Editor for Laptop magazine, you'll hear brief reviews of two curious notebook computers from Sony that come preloaded with Windows 8. You'll also hear about the results of a shootout pitting the iPhone 5 against what is perceived to be its main competitor, the Samsung Galaxy S III.

On this week's all-star episode, Adam Engst from TidBITS and Take Control Books, who will be speaking about the Mapgate fiasco, along with his ideas about how Apple should price OS X, and how that price may impact app sales. Kirk McElhearn, Macworld's "iTunes Guy," tells of his trials and tribulations in using Maps for iOS 6 to travel around France. He'll also report on his problems with Apple's EarPods, their newly-designed earphone.

On this week's all-star episode, we present cutting-edge commentator Daniel Eran Dilger, of Roughly Drafted Magazine and AppleInsider, to make sense of the "Mapgate" controversy that involves problems with Apple's home-built mapping service. Avram Piltch, the Online Editorial Director of Laptop magazine, gives you his take on Mapgate, explains the reasons why he feels Android smartphones beat the iPhone in some areas, and gives you his first impressions of the latest generation of Nook tablets from Barnes & Noble.

We present software developer Alexander Adam, from Quasado, who is one of the people behind StageStack, a project to create a new graphics app in the tradition of Macromedia FreeHand. You'll also hear from Adrian Hoppel, who writes a weekly column for Mac|Life called "Law & Apple," where he tries to make some sense of the Apple's legal adventures. John Martellaro, Senior Editor, Analysis & Reviews for The Mac Observer, will explain why every "geeky smartphone feature doesn't matter," list the iPhone 5 features that Apple didn't offer and why, and dissect Samsung's anti-iPhone 5 ad campaign.