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

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


The Tech Night Owl LIVE March 31, 2018

April 01, 2018

On this week's episode, we feature outspoken podcaster and columnist Kirk McElhearn, who focuses heavily on his experiences with Apple's HomePod. He explains the problems he's found with the product, particularly a bassy response, and problems with Apple's Siri voice assistant. Will future software updates allow you to adjust the frequency profile of a HomePod, other than with iTunes? What about improving Siri's recognition accuracy? What about eliminating the problem where it leaves white rings on wood surfaces that are tied or waxed? Kirk also covers possible future Macs, such as a new Mac Pro and whether there will be an upgrade to the Mac mini, which hasn't been updated since 2014? Gene continues his suggestion that HP's Z2 Mini Workstation is a potential future direction with the Mac mini, offering powerful performance at a relatively low cost.

You'll also hear from commentator Bryan Chaffin, co-founder and co-publisher of The Mac Observer, He also talks about the HomePad, and his perception of its sonic quality and future prospects. What about the still-delayed AirPlay 2 feature that was first promised to Apple users in iOS 11 last year? What about the curious disconnect between unproven claims that iPhone X sales collapsed last year, compared to Apple's own financials that indicated high sales and revenue for iPhones, and reports that the iPhone X was the highest selling model  on the planet during the weeks it was on sale? How do such false stories get started and why do they continue even after Apple reviewed the truth? There's also talk about the unexpected success of the Apple Watch which, in 2017, became the number one best selling wearable on the planet. This comes after the Apple Watch was regarded as a tepid performer in the marketplace for so long.