MacVoices #26156: Live! - A WWDC Event, The “Too Many Screens in Schools” Debate, and a New Personal AI

MacVoices Live! previews MacPaw’s WWDC “Flip the Script” developer event, then examines the growing backlash against school-issued screens in classrooms. Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Jeff Gamet, Brian Flanigan-Arthurs, Jim Rea, Eric Bolden, Marty Jencius, and Web Bixby weigh digital skills, socialization, parental responsibility, accessibility, school support, and workforce readiness. They also consider Poppy, a proactive AI assistant, and the privacy concerns that come with giving any app deep access to personal data. 

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Show Notes:

Chapters:

[0:00] Introduction and panel setup
[4:43] MacPaw’s WWDC “Flip the Script” event announcement
[7:13] School-issued screens and classroom technology backlash
[10:01] Parent responsibility, student socialization, and age-appropriate tech use
[15:27] Digital skills, technology etiquette, and workforce preparation
[22:33] Poppy proactive AI assistant and privacy concerns
[25:21] Community involvement, school support, and technology funding
[28:20] Closing announcements and credits

Links:

MacPaw’s ‘Flip The Script’ Event at WWDC
https://luma.com/flipthescript26

Screens are saturating U.S. classrooms, fueling a backlash on school-issued devices
https://www.fastcompany.com/91548060/screens-saturating-u-s-classrooms-fueling-backlash-school-issued-devices

 

‘Poppy’ is a proactive AI assistant that handles what Siri still can't - 9to5Mac

https://9to5mac.com/2026/05/23/indie-app-spotlight-poppy-proactive-ai-assistant-digital-management-organization/

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, but prefers Bluesky.

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 [e-mail], on Mastodon at @[e-mail], 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 @[e-mail].

Jeff Gamet is a technology blogger, podcaster, author, and public speaker. Previously, he was The Mac Observer’s Managing Editor, and the TextExpander Evangelist for Smile. He has presented at Macworld Expo, RSA Conference, several WordCamp events, along with many other conferences. You can find him on several podcasts such as The Mac Show, The Big Show, MacVoices, Mac OS Ken, This Week in iOS, and more. Jeff is easy to find on social media as @jgamet on Twitter and Instagram, jeffgamet on LinkedIn., @[e-mail] on Mastodon, and on his YouTube Channel at YouTube.com/jgamet.

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 @[e-mail].

Marty Jencius, Ph.D.,is a counselor educator and technology pioneer who has spent 30 years bringing emerging tech into his field — from founding one of the first professional listservs (CESNET-L) to podcasting, virtual reality, and now AI and AR. He is the founder of ThePodTalk.net, where he produces Vision ProFiles, The Old Mac Gang, A.I. Productivity Workflow, The Tech Savvy Professor, 15 Minute Bytes, The Neo Notebook, and Fade to Chat: Golden Age Cinema. He is also a regular panelist on MacVoices Live!, In Touch with iOS, and The Mac Show. Find him on Bluesky and Mastodon.

Jim Rea built his own computer from scratch in 1975, started programming in 1977, and has been an independent Mac developer continuously since 1984. He is the founder of ProVUE Development, and the author of Panorama X, ProVUE's ultra fast RAM based database software for the macOS platform. He’s been a speaker at MacTech, MacWorld Expo and other industry conferences. Follow Jim at provue.com and via @[e-mail] on Mastodon.

Support:

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     http://patreon.com/macvoices

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Connect:

     Web:
     http://macvoices.com

     Twitter:
     http://www.twitter.com/chuckjoiner
     http://www.twitter.com/macvoices

     Mastodon:
     https://mastodon.cloud/@chuckjoiner

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     http://www.facebook.com/chuck.joiner

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Subscribe:

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Show Notes:

Chapters:

MacPaw’s ‘Flip The Script’ Event at WWDC
https://luma.com/flipthescript26

Screens are saturating U.S. classrooms, fueling a backlash on school-issued devices
https://www.fastcompany.com/91548060/screens-saturating-u-s-classrooms-fueling-backlash-school-issued-devices

 

‘Poppy’ is a proactive AI assistant that handles what Siri still can't - 9to5Mac

https://9to5mac.com/2026/05/23/indie-app-spotlight-poppy-proactive-ai-assistant-digital-management-organization/

Links:

[0:00] Introduction and panel setup
[4:43] MacPaw’s WWDC “Flip the Script” event announcement
[7:13] School-issued screens and classroom technology backlash
[10:01] Parent responsibility, student socialization, and age-appropriate tech use
[15:27] Digital skills, technology etiquette, and workforce preparation
[22:33] Poppy proactive AI assistant and privacy concerns
[25:21] Community involvement, school support, and technology funding
[28:20] Closing announcements and credits

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, but prefers Bluesky.

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 [e-mail], on Mastodon at @[e-mail], 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 @[e-mail].

Jeff Gamet is a technology blogger, podcaster, author, and public speaker. Previously, he was The Mac Observer’s Managing Editor, and the TextExpander Evangelist for Smile. He has presented at Macworld Expo, RSA Conference, several WordCamp events, along with many other conferences. You can find him on several podcasts such as The Mac Show, The Big Show, MacVoices, Mac OS Ken, This Week in iOS, and more. Jeff is easy to find on social media as @jgamet on Twitter and Instagram, jeffgamet on LinkedIn., @[e-mail] on Mastodon, and on his YouTube Channel at YouTube.com/jgamet.

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 @[e-mail].

Marty Jencius, Ph.D.,is a counselor educator and technology pioneer who has spent 30 years bringing emerging tech into his field — from founding one of the first professional listservs (CESNET-L) to podcasting, virtual reality, and now AI and AR. He is the founder of ThePodTalk.net, where he produces Vision ProFiles, The Old Mac Gang, A.I. Productivity Workflow, The Tech Savvy Professor, 15 Minute Bytes, The Neo Notebook, and Fade to Chat: Golden Age Cinema. He is also a regular panelist on MacVoices Live!, In Touch with iOS, and The Mac Show. Find him on Bluesky and Mastodon.

Jim Rea built his own computer from scratch in 1975, started programming in 1977, and has been an independent Mac developer continuously since 1984. He is the founder of ProVUE Development, and the author of Panorama X, ProVUE's ultra fast RAM based database software for the macOS platform. He’s been a speaker at MacTech, MacWorld Expo and other industry conferences. Follow Jim at provue.com and via @[e-mail] on Mastodon.

Support:

     Become a MacVoices Patron on Patreon
     http://patreon.com/macvoices

     Enjoy this episode? Make a one-time donation with PayPal

Connect:

     Web:
     http://macvoices.com

     Twitter:
     http://www.twitter.com/chuckjoiner
     http://www.twitter.com/macvoices

     Mastodon:
     https://mastodon.cloud/@chuckjoiner

     Facebook:
     http://www.facebook.com/chuck.joiner

     MacVoices Page on Facebook:
     http://www.facebook.com/macvoices/

     MacVoices Group on Facebook:
     http://www.facebook.com/groups/macvoice

     LinkedIn:
     https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuckjoiner/

     Instagram:
     https://www.instagram.com/chuckjoiner/

Subscribe:

     Audio in iTunes
     Video in iTunes

     Subscribe manually via iTunes or any podcatcher:

     Audio: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesrss
     Video: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesvideorss