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

We begin with author and commentator Adam Engst, from TidBITS and Take Control Books, who talks about the dream of the "paperless office" and the two broken Mac updates recently released by Apple, along with the problems they caused. You'll hear from Macworld's Dan Moren on the four important issues that need fixing in the App Store and, of course, the Mac App Store. With the launch of the next version of Mac OS X, known as Mountain Lion, we bring aboard Bob “Dr. Mac” LeVitus to discuss some of the new iOS-inspired features you can expect when Apple releases the OS late this summer.

Author and commentator Kirk McElhearn, Macworld's "iTunes Guy," talks with Gene about some of his favorite TV shows, and his favorite and not-so-favorite Macs over the years. Industry analyst Stephen Baker, of the NPD Group, talks about tech industry trends, including smartphone sales, the possibilities of Windows 8, 3D TV, and whether Apple will really build a "smart" TV. Avram Piltch, Online Editorial Director for Laptop magazine, discusses Android OS update problems, whether smartphones with physical keyboards have a future, and his own investigations into reports that Apple and other tech companies are allowing their Asian contract factories to abuse factory workers.

Jim Dalrymple, of The Loop, outlines Apple's recent update for Final Cut Pro X, and whether the problems reported by video editors have been properly addressed. He'll also cover the management shakeup at Research In Motion. Rich Sloan, founder of StartUp Nation, offers tips for new businesses, and describes a partnership with Brother in which five people will receive $5,000 grants to help fund their new ventures. Peter Cohen, of the "Angry Mac Bastards" radio show and Executive Editor for The Loop, discusses the ongoing controversy over the working conditions at Foxconn and other companies contracted by Apple and other tech companies to build their products. You'll also hear about the ongoing prospects for Windows Phone and the Android OS from Daniel Eran Dilger, of Roughly Drafted Magazine and AppleInsider.

John Martellaro, Senior Editor, Analysis & Reviews for The Mac Observer, discusses Apple's stellar financials along with his views on iBooks 2 and how it will impact the textbook business. Ross Rubin, Executive Director and Principal Analyst, NPD Connected Intelligence for The NPD Group, also talks about Apple's financial results, along with trends in the tech industry, including prospects for 3D TVs. We'll also be joined by Avram Piltch, Online Editorial Director for Laptop magazine, who will discuss the recent management shakeup at Research In Motion (RIM), Apple's amazing success, and reports of unsafe working conditions at the contract factories assembling Apple's products.

Kirk McElhearn, who is now Macworld's "iTunes Guy," gives you some hard-won tips about using iTunes, and he also outlines some of the problems reported with iTunes Match and iCloud. Commentator Daniel Eran Dilger, from Roughly Drafted Magazine and AppleInsider, discusses the Consumer Electronics Show, along with the issues involving the various hardware and software platforms from the likes of Intel, AMD, ARM, Apple, and Google. We're also joined by Rob Pegoraro, a tech writer for USAToday.com, who discusses Apple's iBooks 2, its impact to education, and the ongoing controversy over the now-shelved Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA).

veteran Mac author and troubleshooting expert Ted Landau discusses the prospects for an Apple integrated TV, and also details many of the problems with the first release of Apple's iCloud. Direct from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Avram Piltch, Online Editorial Director of Laptop magazine, discusses some of the hits and misses at the trade show. Bill Vlahos, creator of InfoWallet, discusses how his cross-platform "file cabinet" application can be used to easily organize, store, and access your most private information in one very secure location.

Adam Engst, from TidBITS and Take Control Books, provides his take on the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), proposed legislation in the U.S. House that some say puts draconian controls on attempts to remove alleged pirated content from Web sites. You'll also hear from Sean Brown, Vice President, Sonic Foundry, about an update to their Mediasite that will allow, for example, students with iPhones and iPads to watch online lectures from educators. Macworld's Dan Moren joins Gene to brainstorm about the possibilities for an iTV, or Apple connected TV, and whether such a product will ever see the light of day.

First, commentator Kirk McElhearn discusses a peculiar take by a book reviewer on the impact of Steve Jobs and Apple, and also discusses some of his favorite stories for the year. Prolific author Bob “Dr. Mac” LeVitus muses on what might have happened to Apple had Steve Jobs not returned to the company in the mid-1990s. He also discusses the possibilities of an Apple connected TV and how such a product would deliver the content you want. With The Loop's Jim Dalrymple, we talk about such topics as the possible impact of the Stop Software Piracy Act and how domain registrar GoDaddy got themselves in the thick of it when they first supported the controversial proposed law, and then, in the face of customer defections, changed their tune.

Cutting-edge commentator Daniel Eran Dilger, from Roughly Drafted Magazine and AppleInsider, covers Apple's recent patent victory against HTC before the International Trade Commission, and also offers some surprisingly frank comments about AT&T's failed attempt to merge with T-Mobile. Avram Piltch, Online Editorial Director of Laptop magazine, offers a long-range view of the failed AT&T/T-Mobile merger and suggests possible suitors for T-Mobile. He'll also cover some of the top tech stories of 2011, and offer projections for industry trends in 2012.

Macworld Editorial Director Jason Snell covers the history of the iPod, and his experiences with an Amazon Kindle Fire tablet. Outspoken commentator Peter Cohen, of the "Angry Mac Bastards" radio show and Executive Editor for The Loop, covers the shaky situation at HP, as the company tries to seek out a new strategy, and why Microsoft removed the head of the Windows Phone division. For a last minute look at the best tech gear for 2011, we call upon Steve "Mr. Gadget" Kruschen.