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MacVoices #26246: Democratizing Programming: From HyperCard to Claude with Adam Engst (1)

Release Date: 09/01/2026

MacVoices #26274: TV+ Talk - Apple TV’s Winning Strategy: Quality Over Quantity, iPhone Duo, and Holiday Programming

MacVoices

In a slight detour from their regular topics Charlotte Henry and Chuck Joiner discuss the iPhone 18 Pro, the upcoming iPhone Duo experience, and the challenges of managing Apple subscriptions. Turning back to television, they explore Apple’s new London music venue, upcoming holiday programming featuring Snoopy and Peanuts, and research revealing Apple’s emphasis on scripted entertainment. The discussion examines how Apple’s quality-focused streaming strategy distinguishes it from competitors like Netflix, Disney+, and HBO Max with plenty of examples. Show Notes: Chapters: ...

MacVoices #26273: Live! - Remembering Steve Jobs, John Ternus and Design, Choosing iPhone Duo

MacVoices

After Day 1, the panel compares Amazon Prime Day deals and strategies for separating real bargains from inflated discounts. On a more serious note, they reflect on the 15th anniversary of Steve Jobs’ death. John Ternus’ increased focus on design and what it could mean for Apple’s future, and the the iPhone Duo’s replaceable display layer and other improvements designed to address traditional foldable-phone weaknesses wrap up the session. The panel includes: Chuck Joiner, Brian Flanigan-Arthurs, David Ginsburg, Jim Rea, Eric Bolden, and Marty Jencius....

MacVoices #26272: Briefing - The Twelve South AirFly Drive Wireless CarPlay Adapter

MacVoices

The makes wired CarPlay wireless without the reliability problems common to other adapters. Setup is simple, connections occur within seconds, and extensive driving produced no dropped connections. Voice calls, apps, vehicle controls, and two-phone pairing all work seamlessly, making it a compact and affordable CarPlay upgrade. This MacVoices is supported by our new MacVoices series, Foreshadowing Tech, that examines the effect of media depictions of tech and tech culture on real-world tech, and how real-world has affected technology depictions in the media. Check it out at . Show...

MacVoices #26271: Live! - More Streaming Price Hikes, CoPilot Desperately Rebrands

MacVoices

It is happening again: Disney+ and Hulu are raising prices on their streaming services prices, inspiring the panel to discuss strategies for managing streaming costs, and free content alternatives. The conversation then turns to Microsoft dropping Copilot+ branding from new Surface PCs, Copilot’s lacking enterprise presence, reports of human review of CoPilot user photos, and broader concerns about how Microsoft and Meta approach privacy. The panel includes: Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Marty Jencius, Eric Bolden, and Jim Rea. MacVoices is supported by ...

MacVoices #26270: Live! - Apple’s AI Photo Editing, Rosetta’s End, Apple Watch Pairing

MacVoices

Whether Apple Watch can pair with multiple iPhones, the storage demands of Apple Intelligence, and preparing Macs for the end of Rosetta support kick off this discussion. Other topics include whether expensive phones need cases, AI photo editing versus Photoshop, Pixelmator Pro as an Adobe alternative, and what Adobe’s acquisition of Topaz Labs means for users. The panel includes: Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Marty Jencius, Eric Bolden, and Jim Rea. This edition of MacVoices is brought to you by the MacVoices Dispatch, our weekly newsletter that keeps...

MacVoices #26269: MacVoices Update 2026-09

MacVoices

September brought a return to a more normal schedule for TV+ Talk,, a new Foreshadowing Tech exploring science fiction’s influence on real-world communication devices, and several website improvements. Chuck highlights new subscription, contributor, and social media pages, discusses continuing coverage of AI, Apple Intelligence, hardware and software, and provides the monthly Support Report. Show Notes: MacVoices Subscribe page: MacVoices Social page: MacVoices Live! Panel page: Chapters: 00:00 September 2026 Update 00:40 A Busy Month and the Return From Summer 00:52 Foreshadowing...

MacVoices #26268: Live! - Ecamm Creator Camp Report, iPhone Duo for Lefties, and AT&T’s Handoff Decision

MacVoices

Two MacVoices Live! panel members provide a look inside the most recent Ecamm Creator Cam. They highlight its focus on creators, entrepreneurship, community, and upcoming features such as live transcription and translation. The panel also examines how many apps can be removed from iPhone as compared to other smart phones, and slower storage in base Mac mini models. The discussion also includes a look at left-handed usability of the iPhone Duo and AT&T’s surprising decision not to support Apple’s new iPhone handoff feature. The panel includes: Chuck...

MacVoices #26267: Cloud Storage Isn't Backup and Evaluating Googlebooks

MacVoices

The panel looks at macOS 27 ending Time Capsule backup support, then debates Google’s new Android-based laptops and its attempt to build a tighter ecosystem. Other topics include Chrome’s retro-style bookmark launchpad and GM’s geolocation privacy settlement before a deep dive into cloud storage, AWS data loss, redundancy, service agreements, and why cloud storage is not necessarily backup. The panel consists of Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Web Bixby, Eric Bolden, Marty Jencius, Jim Rea, and Jeff Gamet. MacVoices is supported by Origin Technology. Origin is...

MacVoices #26266: Live! - Siri Gets Smarter, Tim Cook’s New Role, Woz’s Merch Store

MacVoices

The panel explores first impressions of Siri AI, from image searches, weather, news, and Vision Pro visual recognition to unexpected limitations involving apps and personal context. The discussion also covers Steve Jobs and Apple Store history, Steve Wozniak’s new merchandise venture, Apple’s wearable market strength, GM’s continuing retreat from CarPlay, and Tim Cook’s expanding diplomatic role. The panel consists of Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Web Bixby, Eric Bolden, Marty Jencius, Jim Rea, and Jeff Gamet. MacVoices is supported by Origin Technology....

MacVoices #26265: Live! - Apple Vision Pro’s Future, iPhone Battery Limits, and RAID 6

MacVoices

Apple’s record stock performance leads into a discussion of Vision Pro and John Ternus’ explanation of its long-term potential. The MacVoices Live! panel considers spatial computing’s growing role in medicine, productivity, and professional workflows, along with whether the technology is ready for broader adoption. They also examine iPhone battery shipping limits, SoftRAID 9's support of RAID 6, and local versus cloud storage. The panel consists of Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Web Bixby, Eric Bolden, Marty Jencius, Jim Rea, and Jeff Gamet. MacVoices is supported by...

More Episodes

Adam Engst looks back at HyperCard as an early tool that democratized software creation, then connects its legacy to today’s AI-assisted development. He outlines how Claude helped turn an idea for tracking macOS setting changes into a working Mac app, SetShot. Adam discusses Xcode, GitHub, rapid iteration, and the value of visual feedback in his development process, and how AI lowers programming barriers without eliminating the need for thought, judgment, and effort.

This edition of MacVoices is supported by MacVoices After Dark. What happens before and after the shows is uncensored, on-topic, off-topic, and always off the wall. Sign up as a MacVoices Patron and get access!
http://patreon.com/macvoices

Show Notes:

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction and the legacy of HyperCard
02:19 Adam Engst’s experience with HyperCard
04:42 How HyperCard made programming accessible
06:46 HyperCard, TidBITS, and early digital publishing
11:40 How personal computers democratized development
12:04 Lowering programming barriers for people with ideas
12:58 Why software development still requires serious thought
13:20 The limitations of one-shot AI programming
16:15 Patience, thinking, and working effectively with AI
18:02 Introducing SetShot and Adam’s programming experience
18:11 The problem that inspired SetShot
21:00 Using Claude to turn an idea into working software
23:40 Moving from scripts toward a Mac application
24:42 Setting up the development environment and Claude Code
24:55 What AI still can’t do for you in Xcode
25:18 Starting the programming and rapid iteration

Links:

Decades After HyperCard, AI Is Democratizing Development Again by Adam Engst in TidBITS

SetShot by Adam Engst

SetShot Tracks macOS Settings Changes - TidBITS

Guests:

(From TidBITS)

Adam C. Engst is the publisher of TidBITS, one of the oldest and most respected Internet-based newsletters, distributed weekly to tens of thousands of readers. He has written numerous technical books, including the best-selling Internet Starter Kit series, and many magazine articles—thanks to Contributing Editor positions at MacUser, MacWEEK, and Macworld.

His innovations include the creation of the first advertising program to support an Internet publication in 1992, the first flat-rate accounts for graphical Internet access in 1993 (with Northwest Nexus for Internet Starter Kit for Macintosh), and the highly successful Take Control electronic book series. In addition, he has collaborated on several educational videos on the Internet and has appeared on various internationally broadcast television and radio programs.

His tireless support of the Macintosh community and commitment to helping individuals have resulted in numerous awards and recognition at the highest levels. In the annual MDJ Power 25 survey of industry insiders, he ranked as the second (2000), third (2001, 2002), fourth (2003), fifth (2004), and third (2005/2006) most influential person in the Macintosh industry. He has also been included on the MacTech 25 list of influential people in the Macintosh technical community for 2006 and 2007, and he was named one of MacDirectory’s top ten visionaries.

And how many industry figures can boast of being turned into an action figure?

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