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 373 Episodes.
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Episode 341: Is TikTok Safe?
April 25th, 2024 | 31 mins 28 secs
What does the future look like for TikTok now that it has less than a year to avoid being banned in the US. And is the platform safe to use? After two data breaches, Roku introduces so-called two factor authentication. Are Roku users safer? And the rumors say new iPads will be announced next week. Anything else? We'll have a quick preview of Apple's "Let Loose" event.
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Episode 340: How Hackers Can Take Over Your Phone by SIM Swapping
April 18th, 2024 | 29 mins 6 secs
The popular streaming service Roku was hit with its second data breach this year, and the info of hundreds of thousands of users was exposed. Another Google service has met its end, we'll tell you about the newest resident of the Google graveyard. And take a deep dive into how hackers use SIM swapping attacks and how you can stop them.
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Episode 339: Patches, Data Breaches, and Too Many Messaging Protocols
April 11th, 2024 | 29 mins 56 secs
Both Apple and Microsoft have patched a lot of security vulnerabilities in updates to their operating systems. A new scam uses AI to put the squeeze on victims. Info from a years-old AT&T data breach has been made public and data from 10s of millions of users has been exposed. And Apple has said that the RCS messaging protocol is coming to its operating systems later this year. Just how many messaging protocols is too many?
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Episode 338: Vintage, Obsolete, and a Few Anniversaries
April 4th, 2024 | 28 mins 51 secs
Apple calls old devices "obsolete" and "vintage;” what exactly do these terms mean? Alternative iPhone app stores will soon be available in Europe and new details suggest that some extra effort will be required from users. And all of Apple's M-series processors all have a newly discovered vulnerability that can't be patched without some compromises on speed.
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Episode 337: WWDC, DOJ, and Smart Rings
March 28th, 2024 | 28 mins 56 secs
New MacOS updates with fixes arrived this week: we’ve got some details. Rumors of an Apple Ring compelled us to look into the market-leading Oura ring. A security setting for Apple's Journal app has generated some confusion: we’ll try to straighten things out. And the dates for Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference have been announced. We'll have some guesses of what might be coming.
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Episode 336: When Should You Not Update Your Mac to the Latest Version of macOS?
March 21st, 2024 | 30 mins 4 secs
"Update-a-phobia". When do potential bugs in new system software updates outweigh the safety of new security patches? Apple faces a class action lawsuit that complains about its iCloud and backup limitations. And what will the iOS landscape look like if Apple has to permit third-party app stores throughout the world?
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Episode 335: 68 Vulnerabilities Patched!
March 14th, 2024 | 30 mins 25 secs
Apple's latest macOS release patches 68 vulnerabilities, and that's a lot. The latest GarageBand update contains a quiet and un-noted security fix. Preventing your IP address from being detected and why that's a good idea. And speculation on future iPads Apple just might have in the pipeline.
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Episode 334: Unintended Consequences of Third-Party iOS App Stores
March 7th, 2024 | 30 mins 22 secs
iOS and iPadOS updates bring security fixes and changes for iPhone users in the European Union. Those changes include Alternative App Marketplaces, AKA third-party app stores, on iOS, and Apple’s approach puts user security at risk.
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Episode 333: Stealer Malware, App Store Scams, and The Demise of the Apple Car
February 29th, 2024 | 29 mins 47 secs
Stealer malware continues to spawn variants, poisoning ad-search platforms and hijacking cryptocurrency wallets. How much is actually being done to detect and neutralize Stealer related wrongdoing? App subscription scams on the App Store are on the increase: what's Apple doing about it? And the Apple Car project has ended. What will Apple be working on next instead?
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Episode 332: Hackers Hacked, DoJ Strikes Back, and Messaging Apps on the Right Track
February 22nd, 2024 | 28 mins 51 secs
A hacker group known as Wicked Panda experiences its own data breach of collected data. What exactly happens when the hackers get hacked? The US Department of Justice quietly shuts down Russian malware installed on US routers. The Signal messaging app introduces usernames to replace phone numbers in its latest beta. And Apple is giving the Music app the ability to import your playlists from Spotify.
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Episode 331: iTunes, iMessage, and Vision Pro
February 15th, 2024 | 30 mins 25 secs
Why was Apple slow to remove a dangerous fake app copycat from the App Store? EU regulators change their tune on iMessage. Apple finally releases new media apps for Windows users. And the Vision Pro is shipping; we tried it out in an Apple Store.
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Episode 330: Apple and the EU: Changes Coming Soon
February 8th, 2024 | 30 mins 9 secs
Apple attributes a hacker with a discovery of a vulnerability just after he's arrested for hacking and scamming Apple. Researchers in Cupertino have created a new AI model that assists with image editing; is it coming to Apple’s Photos app? And the Digital Markets Act takes effect in the EU soon. What differences can European iPhone users expect when it comes to buying and downloading software?
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Episode 329: A Look Back at 2023’s Mac Malware, and What To Expect in 2024
February 1st, 2024 | 24 mins 58 secs
We take a close look at the malware that has affected the Mac, iPhone, and iPad in 2023, and highlight which types of malware are likely to be common in 2024.
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Episode 328: The Macintosh Turns 40 Years Old
January 25th, 2024 | 30 mins 4 secs
We take a look at the latest security patches released in Apple's newest operating system updates, and explains how Apple's new Stolen Device Protection feature for iPhone can keep your data safe. A popular brand of Wi-Fi router just got important security enhancements for its firmware: we’ll tell you what to check. And we have a look back at the Mac on the 40th anniversary of Apple's Macintosh computer.
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Episode 327: Tom Cruise Is in the Heating Ducts
January 18th, 2024 | 29 mins 11 secs
Apple issues an security patch for its Magic Keyboard. It turns out that Google Chrome's Incognito Mode is not so incognito. AppleCoin, more invoice phishing, and Amazon delivery hacks: they're all scams in this week's ScamWatch. And app sideloading is coming to iPhones in EU countries.
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Episode 326: Apple’s Vision Pro and New Tech at CES
January 11th, 2024 | 26 mins
Apple's latest response to the EU's anti-trust regulators could be a bit of a stretch. A Chinese group claims to have been able to hack Apple's AirDrop, a shocker if true. Password manager LastPass makes its passwords more secure, something experts say should have been done a long time ago. And new gear is in the spotlight as CES gets underway and Apple gets ready for the debut of its Vision Pro headset.