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 354 Episodes.
-
How We Use Facebook
May 10th, 2019 | 33 mins 21 secs
We look at an issue that caused Firefox add-ons to not work for a while, and discuss a suggestion about making Apple's AirDrop more secure. Then we discuss how we use Facebook, and why we don't use it much any more (and perhaps why you should rethink how you use the service).
-
Should you worry about MDM software?
May 3rd, 2019 | 30 mins 11 secs
Apple has updated XProtect; what is this? Facebook bans quizzes and useless apps; finally. And we take a close look at MDM software, and how Apple has taken measures against apps that use this technology.
-
When should you upgrade your Mac?
April 26th, 2019 | 32 mins 43 secs
Macs last a long time, but whatever your needs, you’ll need to upgrade your Macs eventually. Whether you buy new or used, there comes a time when you need more power, RAM, storage, or all of the above. You don’t necessarily have to upgrade your entire Mac. We discuss the different variations of upgrading your Apple hardware.
-
Solving a problem that isn’t there
April 19th, 2019 | 33 mins 18 secs
Breaking news: folding phones are out, and they’re breaking. Is this a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist? We also discuss the possibility of Apple creating a Find My Everything app, and we look at advertising identifiers on iOS device, and Mozilla’s campaign to get Apple to change them every month.
-
Is Apple Breaking Up iTunes?
April 12th, 2019 | 36 mins 13 secs
Rumors abound of Apple breaking up iTunes, and we look at what this might entail. We also discuss how Amazon employees are listening in on Alexa devices, and we relate the story of an Apple employee whose confidential Apple devices were subject to searches when he tried to cross the border.
-
The One About the iPad
April 5th, 2019 | 36 mins 24 secs
We discuss the iPad: how it can replace a computer for some people, how the new iPad mini is a great little device, and how there are some elements of iOS that could be improved to make the iPad even better.
-
Apple's New Services, with Chuck Joiner
March 29th, 2019 | 44 mins 28 secs
Mac podcaster Chuck Joiner joins us to discuss Apple's new services that were announced this week: news, games, TV, and even a credit card.
-
This Is a Brain Hack
March 22nd, 2019 | 33 mins 35 secs
We take a deep dive into spam: how it works, and how you can manage it. We also discuss another Facebook blunder, some thoughts on preventing facial recognition software from spotting you, and a new porn blackmail scam allegedly from the CIA.
-
Spoiler Alert
March 15th, 2019 | 33 mins 13 secs
Josh tells us about the RSA security conference, and there are some new vulnerabilities that affect processors; one even has its own website. We also bring you some news about Facebook using phone numbers when they said they wouldn't, and Firefox's new secure file-transfer service.
-
Maintain Your Privacy When Browsing the Web
March 8th, 2019 | 33 mins 19 secs
All modern web browsers provide the capability to use "private browsing," a way of maintaining your privacy when using the web. We discuss how to use this feature, as well as some browser extensions that will also mask some of your personal information.
-
Marzipan and the iOSification of macOS
March 1st, 2019 | 28 mins 47 secs
After some news about Facebook and user data (again), and a look at Apple's plan for securely managing health records, we look at Marzipan, Apple's framework for allowing iOS apps to easily run on macOS. What will the future look like? Will macOS become similar to iOS? And will we see touch-screen Macs in the future?
-
How to Securely Dispose of Hard Drives
February 22nd, 2019 | 31 mins 43 secs
A Messages prank, Google getting caught with a hidden mic, and password managers have flaws. And we discuss destroying hard drives creatively.
-
How to Avoid Getting Hacked After Data Breaches
February 15th, 2019 | 31 mins 23 secs
Data breaches are common, and when this happens, and your data is included, you need to know what to do to protect yourself. We take a deep dive into data breaches and the things you can do to keep yourself safe.
-
Why Doesn't Apple Have a Mac Bug Bounty Program?
February 8th, 2019 | 32 mins 23 secs
We discuss a new macOS Keychain vulnerability, which raises the question of why Apple still doesn't have a Mac bug bounty program. We also discuss shortcomings of two-factor authentication, the removal of the Do Not Track feature from Safari, whether or not Google Chrome's lookalike URL warnings are actually a good thing, and more.
-
FaceTime, Facebook, Google, Shortcuts, Steganography, and More
February 1st, 2019 | 28 mins 24 secs
Apple had a mean FaceTime bug; then they slapped down Facebook, and Google, for some underhanded app distribution. There are security risks using iOS Shortcuts, and there's new malware using steganography.
-
The Biggest Data Breach Ever; Is Your Data Included?
January 25th, 2019 | 37 mins 5 secs
Google is blocking ad blockers, but not their own ads. Apple has released a slew of updates. And the biggest data breach ever has been discovered, with 2.7 billion records. Is your data included?