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MacVoices #26108: Kicking off The Road to Macstock with Mike Potter

Release Date: 03/30/2026

MacVoices #26108: Kicking off The Road to Macstock with Mike Potter

MacVoices

The Road to kicks off with organizer Mike Potter, previewing the biggest event yet as the conference marks its 10th in-person year. He outlines new additions including Ecamm’s Creator Camp, a Saturday troubleshooting super session, and another upcoming surprise announcement. The conversation also covers expanded 90-minute sessions, community interaction, pricing, lodging, and why this year’s gathering in Crystal Lake promises more learning and connection than ever. This edition of MacVoices is brought to you by our Patreon supporters. Get access to the MacVoices Slack and...

MacVoices #26107: Three Shows, 20 Years Each. A Podcasting Conversation with Ken Ray and Mike Potter

MacVoices

Ken Ray, Mike Potter, and Chuck Joiner mark 20 years of podcasting by reflecting on how their shows began, how the medium evolved, and why they still love doing it. They share stories of improvised early gear, changing formats, audience connection, discoverability, and the friendships built along the way. The conversation also explores what defines a podcast, the value of audio, and why putting yourself out there still matters. Show Notes: Chapters: [0:00] Introduction to a 20-year podcasting conversation [0:38] Ken Ray on his radio roots and daily Apple news [5:15] Ken’s...

MacVoices #26106: Live! - Canva’s New AI Tool and Who It Is For

MacVoices

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MacVoices #26105: TV+ Talk - Kid’s Programming Undervalued, More Awards, and F1’s First Race Success

MacVoices

Charlotte Henry and Chuck Joiner discuss why Apple TV+ still feels undervalued despite an expanding slate of films, kids programming, awards recognition, and sports success. They highlight Outcome, My Brother the Minotaur, Slow Horses, and F1, examine how awards signal depth across genres, and explore how live sports, global stars, and the Sports app are helping broaden Apple TV’s reach. Show Notes: Chapters: 0:00 Introduction and Apple TV+ as an overlooked platform 1:04 Why Apple TV+ still feels undervalued in streaming 4:25 Apple TV+ star power and the film Outcome 8:32 Why kids...

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MacVoices

Apple’s measured AI strategy is the topic of a compelling article by Horace Dediu, arguing that restraint and flexibility may prove smarter than heavy investment. Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Marty Jencius, Brian Flanigan-Arthurs, Jim Rea, Web Bixby, Eric Bolden, and Jeff Gamet discuss the conclusions before moving on to improvements in voice assistant reliability, the collapse of Samsung’s tri-fold phone, and Apple’s cautious stance on foldables. The conversation wraps up with AI hardware experiments, increased Claude access, and new private workspace...

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MacVoices

A surprise refresh of the AirPods Pro Max headphones sparks debate over features, pricing, and real-world usefulness compared to smaller alternatives. Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Marty Jencius, Brian Flanigan-Arthurs, Jim Rea, Web Bixby, Eric Bolden, and Jeff Gamet also discuss the results of a teardown of the MacBook Neot hat highlights improved repairability and growing community experimentation. The group also explores Apple’s support of older devices for security and compatibility, and a strategic acquisition aimed at strengthening video editing...

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MacVoices

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MacVoices #26101: Live! - Hands-On With the MacBook Neo

MacVoices

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MacVoices #26100: Live! - ByteDance Apps, Cosmic Orange, Tim Sweeney’s Credibility, and Predictive Markets

MacVoices

The opening discussion centers on restrictions affecting ByteDance apps and what that means for users and updates. Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Eric Bolden, Marty Jencius, Jeff Gamet, Jim Rea, and Brian Flanigan-Arthurs also explore Apple TV production strategies, industry tensions over AI policy, and the rise of “cosmic orange” as a tech trend. The panel also discusses the credibility Tim Sweeney in relation to the settlement with Google, as well as social media bans for teens and the continued expansion of predictive markets. MacVoices is supported by CleanMyMac from MacPaw....

MacVoices #26099: Live! - Acme Weather, Duck Duck Go’s AI, More on Privacy, and Microsoft’s Stumbles

MacVoices

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More Episodes

The Road to MacStock Conference kicks off with organizer Mike Potter, previewing the biggest event yet as the conference marks its 10th in-person year. He outlines new additions including Ecamm’s Creator Camp, a Saturday troubleshooting super session, and another upcoming surprise announcement. The conversation also covers expanded 90-minute sessions, community interaction, pricing, lodging, and why this year’s gathering in Crystal Lake promises more learning and connection than ever.

This edition of MacVoices is brought to you by our Patreon supporters. Get access to the MacVoices Slack and MacVoices After Dark by joining in at Patreon.com/macvoices.

Show Notes:

Chapters:

[0:00] Introduction and Road to MacStock kickoff

[0:26] Why the annual preview series matters

[2:13] Big-picture updates for MacStock’s 10th in-person event

[3:51] Dates and expansion to a fourth day

[4:17] Ecamm Creator Camp announcement and hands-on focus

[6:48] Marty Jencius’ troubleshooting super session

[8:16] Tease of an additional April 1 announcement

[10:11] Weekend structure and expanded session format

[11:35] Presenter lineup and returning favorites

[13:29] Why longer sessions work at MacStock

[17:27] Community interaction and the hallway track

[18:58] The annual T-shirt discussion

[21:40] Ticket pricing, early bird details, and what’s included

[25:59] Venue, hotel, and lodging information

[29:14] Registration timing and room block reminder

[31:08] Contact information and social media presence

[33:03] Final recap and invitation to attend

Guests:

Michael Potter is the Executive Producer of For Mac Eyes Only, and the organizer of the annual Macstock Conference and Expo. Mike's love-affair for all things Apple began in his Junior High's Library playing Lemonade Stand on a pair of brand new Apple ][+ computers. His penchant for Apple gear continued to be nurtured by the public school system when, in High School, he was hired as a lab supervisor to help run the Apple ][e lab for his fellow students and their Print Shop needs. Then, further still, in college he often opted to help a friend with her Computer Graphics coursework instead of focusing on his own studies, but only because it helped get him closer to the Mac-lab.

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