MacVoices #25116: Live! - Contact Identification Responsibility, An Apple Store Surge, The Meta Trial
Release Date: 04/21/2025
MacVoices
From Pepcom at CES 2026, Andrew Green, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer for gives us a tour of their latest offerings that are both functional and stylish. r visits the 12 South booth to explore new and updated accessories. Highlights include the a wall-mounted MagSafe charger, new stands for iPhone and iPad that enable flexible workstation setups at home or on the go, the AirFly Pro 2 Bluetooth transmitter for in-flight audio, and a new leather Valet tray that discreetly integrates wireless charging into a stylish home accessory. Show Notes: Links: Twelve South PowerBug Qi2...
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Our CES highlights wrap with some standout demos, including earbuds that dramatically isolate speech from loud background noise and, a tiny NFC-powered, app-configurable two-button accessory for triggering shortcuts. Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Eric Bolden, Brian Flanigan-Arthurs, Jeff Gamet, Norbert Frassa, Marty Jencius, and Jim Rea also examine Apple’s new Creator Studio bundle, what features may be paywalled, and how it stacks up against Adobe and Affinity. The discussion finishes up with the panel’s thoughts on Apple Card’s move to JPMorgan Chase. MacVoices is...
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From Pepcom at CES 2026 in Las Vegas, Paul Tan, COO for , about the new Q Ultra Series keyboards, their best yet. Highlights include an 8K wireless polling rate with ultra-low latency, exceptional battery life measured in months, a premium CNC-milled aluminum build, upgraded switches, and browser-based configuration that eliminates software downloads that allow for deep customization. Show Notes: Chapters: Links: Guests: Support: Become a MacVoices Patron on Patreon Enjoy this episode? Make a one-time donation with ...
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From Pepcom at CES 2026, Ty Wayman, Brand Manager for , explained how their MagSlim 25W Qi 2.2 magnetic power bank addresses the heating issues associated with the higher power with cryo-boost that actively cool phones for faster wireless charging. The include a versatile three-in-one chargers for iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods, and a Geo Wallet with built-in Find My support. Show Notes: LInks: ESR 3 in 1 Charging Station for Apple, Qi2.2 25W MagSafe Charger with CryoBoost ESR Geo for MagSafe Wallet with Full Find My Functionality, 5-Card Holder, RFID Blocking, Adjustable Stand,...
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At Pepcom at CES 2026 in Las Vegas, we heard about the latest and greatest home security hardware from Brett White, Global Public Relations Lead for . Highlights include a SmartLock with facial recognition, a 180-degree panoramic video doorbell, a solar-powered wall light camera with adjustable panels, and a slim SmartTrack accessory. We review Matter support, battery life, ease of installation, pricing, and availability for the devices to make your home more secure. Show Notes: Support: Become a MacVoices Patron on Patreon ...
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From Pepcom at CES 2026, Product Manager Manny Garcia describes the features of the company’s most powerful docking station yet, built around Thunderbolt 5. Despite its compact size, the dock delivers up to 120Gbps bandwidth, supports 8K displays, provides up to 140W of host power, and includes a built-in SSD enclosure for storage expansion without sacrificing ports. Show Notes: Support: Become a MacVoices Patron on Patreon Enjoy this episode? Make a one-time donation with Connect: Web: ...
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From Pepcom at CES 2026, Ben Stainlay, Head of Product for , shows off an innovative iPad case designed to make holding and using an iPad easier and safer. Inspired by a real-world family accident, the product integrates adjustable hand straps into the case to improve comfort, reduce fatigue, and prevent drops. The discussion covers accessibility benefits, thoughtful design details, build quality, use cases, pricing, and availability. Show Notes: Support: Become a MacVoices Patron on Patreon Enjoy this episode? Make a one-time...
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From Pepcom at CES 2026, Esteban Rojas of explains how their products expand in-car display capabilities beyond traditional CarPlay. Ottocast introduces camera and dongle solutions that enable split-screen viewing, rear-seat monitoring, multiple user profiles, and standalone navigation. Show Notes: Support: Become a MacVoices Patron on Patreon Enjoy this episode? Make a one-time donation with Connect: Web: Twitter: ...
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From CES 2026 in Las Vegas at Pepcom, Alex Levine, CEO and Co-Founder of , talks about their new Tri-Screen 3 portable monitor system. The updated design features larger 13.3-inch displays, a rugged aluminum build, and a single-cable connection for both Windows and Mac laptops. With improved stability for laptop use, fast deployment, and travel-ready durability, Tri-Screen 3 solves the multi-screen deficiency suffered by so many business travelers. Show Notes: Links: Xebec Tri-Screen 3 Laptop Screen Extender | Portable Monitor for Laptops 13″-18″ | Two 13.3 Inch Displays via One USB-C...
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The first live show of 2026 kicks off with CES reflections, a quick scam warning about fake Instagram reset emails, and highlights from the show floor. Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Eric Bolden, Brian Flanigan-Arthurs, Jeff Gamet, Norbert Frassa, Marty Jencius, and Jim Rea discuss into LEGO’s new NFC “smart bricks” and why they won’t kill creativity. Chuck also shares impressions of Xreal display glasses as a travel-friendly “monitor,” then Norbert and Chuck talk about the 360° Antigravity drone demo. MacVoices is supported by Squarespace. Check out to save 10% off...
info_outlineA mix of national security, tech glitches, and policy debates drives this discussion with Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Brian Flanigan-Arthurs, Eric Bolden, Marty Jencius, and Web Bixby, starting with a case where iPhone contact merging was blamed for a classified information leak. The group questions the logic behind that defense and dives into how apps like Signal and iOS handle contact data. Additional topics include Apple Store sales surges tied to tariff fears, the UK’s encryption fight with Apple, and Zuckerberg’s testimony in Meta’s antitrust trial.
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Show Notes:
Chapters:
00:06 Contact Confusion and iPhone Blame
08:02 Reply All Regrets
08:19 UK Encryption Battle Revealed
11:58 Apple Store Surge Amid Tariffs
13:55 Meta's Antitrust Trial Insights
Links:
How Data Detectors led to a security breach on Signal
https://appleinsider.com/articles/25/04/06/security-advisor-blames-iphone-for-revealing-war-plans
The UK can’t keep its encryption battle with Apple secret, court says - 9to5Mac
https://9to5mac.com/2025/04/07/apple-uk-encryption-must-be-public/
Faced with bigly price hikes, America goes Apple shopping
https://www.applemust.com/faced-with-bigly-price-hikes-america-goes-apple-shopping/
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg takes the stand in historic antitrust trial
https://apnews.com/article/meta-ftc-antitrust-instagram-whatsapp-facebook-f602a09e86c9eb4538949572f72e8380
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 embolden@mac.com, on Mastodon at @eabolden@techhub.social, on his blog, Trending At Work, and as co-host on The Vision ProFiles podcast.
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 @brian8944@mastodon.cloud.
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 @daveg65@mastodon.cloud.
Dr. Marty Jencius has been an Associate Professor of Counseling at Kent State University since 2000. He has over 120 publications in books, chapters, journal articles, and others, along with 200 podcasts related to counseling, counselor education, and faculty life. His technology interest led him to develop the counseling profession ‘firsts,’ including listservs, a web-based peer-reviewed journal, The Journal of Technology in Counseling, teaching and conferencing in virtual worlds as the founder of Counselor Education in Second Life, and podcast founder/producer of CounselorAudioSource.net and ThePodTalk.net. Currently, he produces a podcast about counseling and life questions, the Circular Firing Squad, and digital video interviews with legacies capturing the history of the counseling field. This is also co-host of The Vision ProFiles podcast. Generally, Marty is chasing the newest tech trends, which explains his interest in A.I. for teaching, research, and productivity. Marty is an active presenter and past president of the NorthEast Ohio Apple Corp (NEOAC).
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