Kirk McElhearn
Co-Host of Intego Mac Podcast
Kirk McElhearn writes about Macs, iPods, iTunes, books, music and more on his blog Kirkville. He is a regular contributor to The Mac Security Blog, TidBITS, and several other websites and publications. Kirk has written more than twenty books, including Take Control books about iTunes, LaunchBar, and Scrivener.
Kirk McElhearn has hosted 371 Episodes.
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8 Steps to Ensure the Security and Privacy of Your New Mac
December 27th, 2019 | 30 mins 44 secs
If you got a new Mac for the holidays, there are a number of settings you can adjust to enhance its security and privacy. We discuss eight tips to make your Mac stronger. We also look at some news, with Ring's reaction to the claims that they were compromised, Apple pulling an app from the App Store for spying on users, and Apple's new bug bounty program.
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Apple HomeKit and the Smart Home
December 20th, 2019 | 36 mins 8 secs
We take a close look at smart home technology and Apple's HomeKit, and also discuss why Vladimir Putin is still using Windows XP, another Ring camera issue, some password problems, and a new Intel vulnerability called Plundervolt.
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Mac Pro costs the same as Tesla Cybertruck
December 13th, 2019 | 29 mins 1 sec
Apple has released the new Mac Pro, along with updates for all its operating systems this week. Google Chrome gets a serious update, Google Maps gets incognito mode, and the Ring doorbell leaks some location data allowing journalists to create heat maps of Ring-protected homes. Plus an AirDrop vulnerability, a tweet with an iPhone decryption key, and more.
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Twitter Trickery, Charging Insecurity, Cryptocurrency Malware, and More
December 6th, 2019 | 36 mins 41 secs
We follow up on our Black Friday purchases, then talk about some Twitter trickery, some Russian rigidity, some charging insecurity, some location confusion, and some new Mac cryptocurrency malware.
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The Chain of Trust
November 29th, 2019 | 33 mins 20 secs
Apple's two-factor authentication system sets up a chain of trust from one device to another. By ensuring your identity on one device, that device can then authenticate you on another device, and provide you with enhanced features, such as an Apple Watch unlocking a Mac, or an iPhone authorizing Apple Pay on a Mac. Understanding this chain of trust helps you better understand how Apple protects you.
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Black Friday Safe Shopping Advice
November 22nd, 2019 | 29 mins 51 secs
It's Black Friday again, either the day we release this episode if you're in Europe, or next week, if you're in the US. It's the day when you can get some good deals on things you need, discounts on things you don't need, and, if you're not careful, you could get scammed. We discuss some best practices for buying new and used on Black Friday, and warn you about buying a used iPhone.
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Vice President of Integrity
November 15th, 2019 | 32 mins 47 secs
We discuss Apple's new 16" MacBook Pro with a redesigned keyboard; two new entrants in the video streaming market, Apple TV+ and Disney+; a bug in Facebook's app; Google's Pixel 4's face unlock; and more.
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iPad vs. MacBook: is iPadOS a game changer?
November 8th, 2019 | 34 mins 10 secs
With the release of iPadOS, the iPad has become a serious competitor to a laptop. While you can't do everything on an iPad that you can on a laptop, the gulf between the two is getting slimmer. We talk with Ian Schray, a dedicated iPad user, about replacing a laptop with an iPad.
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admin / admin
November 1st, 2019 | 35 mins 43 secs
Apple has release a whole slew of security updates this week, stretching back quite far, and we discuss some of the changes, and also Apple's problematic HomePod update. Equifax is sued for using admin as user name and password to protect sensitive data. (Duh.) And we take a close look at the many security alerts and dialogs you see with macOS Catalina.
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Depending on Your Threat Model...
October 25th, 2019 | 38 mins 48 secs
Samsung is foiled by screen protectors, users are spoofed by a clever two-factor authentication con, Firefox offers social tracking protection, and a stalker found his idol by analyzing reflections in her eyes in photos. And Google announces a quantum computing breakthrough that may mean that we need to use reeeeeeaaaaaallllllyyyyy long passwords in the future.
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Developing a Security Mindset
October 18th, 2019 | 40 mins 45 secs
After a couple of news items, about Apple sending browsing data to Tencent in China, and a Google exec warning people to be wary of its smart home devices, we discuss Josh's talk at the MacTech conference about developing a security mindset.
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Getting Ready for Catalina
October 11th, 2019 | 33 mins 32 secs
Josh and Kirk celebrate the two-year anniversary of the podcast, and discuss getting ready to upgrade to Catalina, with tips on how to ensure that your upgrade will be smooth, and the most efficient way to upgrade your Mac.
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Updates, Legit-Looking Lightning Cables, Malspam, and Touch ID
October 4th, 2019 | 33 mins 20 secs
Josh and Kirk discuss the many updates to iOS 13, how legit-looking lightning cables that can hack your devices will soon be on sale, how malspam mostly tries to trick people with bogus links, a Touch ID issue, and much more.
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iOS Updates, New Amazon Hardware, an Apple Security Advisory, and New Apple Gear
September 27th, 2019 | 37 mins 11 secs
It hasn't been long, but Apple has already released iOS 13.1, and iPad OS 13.1, both initially scheduled for next week. Josh and Kirk discuss these updates, an Apple security advisory about third-party iOS keyboard apps, and some other security news, then chat about the new Apple Watches and iPhones.
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New Features in iOS, Smart TVs Spying on You, and More
September 20th, 2019 | 35 mins
As iOS 13 is out, Josh and Kirk discuss its new features and what you can look forward to. They also discuss how smart TVs spy on you and send data about everything you watch, as well as a new SIM card flaw and an iOS 13 lock screen bypass. One note: we mentioned that iOS 13.1 was due to be released on September 30. After we recorded the podcast, Apple announced that iOS 13.1 would be released early, on September 24.
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Apple's New iPhone, and More
September 13th, 2019 | 36 mins 5 secs
Josh and Kirk celebrate episode 100 of the Intego Mac Podcast with special guest Dave Hamilton and discuss Apple's new iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, Apple Arcade, and Apple TV+. And we discuss changes to Apple's AppleCare extended warranty and insurance plan.