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 376 Episodes.
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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.
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Episode 325: Looking Back at Apple Security and Privacy in 2023
January 4th, 2024 | 30 mins 16 secs
A new Link History setting in the Facebook mobile app has a big catch buried in the small print. Some important open source software on macOS hasn't been updated by Apple despite known vulnerabilities. Stealer malware and session cookie theft continues to be a problem in the new year. And we have a look back at some of the security stories we covered in 2023.
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Episode 324: Apple Watch, Japan and App Sideloading, CarPlay, and Vision Pro
December 28th, 2023 | 30 mins 2 secs
The Apple Watch gets a reprieve, for a short time anyway. Japan is following the EU's lead by considering a law forcing Apple to allow sideloading on iPhones. Auto manufacturers are already announcing next generation CarPlay features. And we discuss reports of a rumored sooner-than-later release of Apple's new Vision Pro.
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Episode 323: Apple Watch Ban, Clean Up Your Social Media Accounts, and Use Dictation and Predictive Text on Macs
December 21st, 2023 | 29 mins 45 secs
Two Apple Watch models are no longer for sale in the US. We'll tell you why. macOS and iOS got fixes in some fast updates this week. A quick how-to on removing your posts from social media services, and some tips on dictation and Predictive Text, both of which have been improved in the latest Apple operating systems.
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Episode 322: Should Apple Make iMessage for Android?
December 14th, 2023 | 29 mins 55 secs
New updates for Apple's operating systems contain security fixes and new features. But a few promised new features didn't make it this trip. And we have a discussion about messaging on Android. Should Apple provide an iMessage app for Android?
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Episode 321: Is Your iPhone’s Lockdown Mode Fake?
December 7th, 2023 | 28 mins 2 secs
Fake loan apps aren't getting removed from the Apple App Store fast enough, and scammers continue to prey on users. Push notifications can be hacked to grab your personal information; we explain how it's being done by government agencies. And we take a look at a newly discovered technique that can fool users of Apple's Lockdown Mode.
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Episode 320: NameDrop, a Bluetooth Vulnerability, and a Chrome Zero-Day
November 30th, 2023 | 32 mins 6 secs
The Chrome browser just got another update with security patches for serious vulnerabilities. A new Bluetooth vulnerability has been discovered that could allow hackers to listen in on your personal audio. And how much personal information are you actually transmitting when you share your contact info using Apple's Name Drop feature?
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Episode 319: Epic Shenanigans, Nothingburger, and RCS
November 23rd, 2023 | 29 mins 50 secs
RCS, the messaging protocol used by Android, is coming to the Apple iPhone. How will it affect your messaging habits? The Nothing phone we talked about last week has failed miserably. And alarmingly. And new Apple patents suggest some interesting new iPhone features that can prevent spying.
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Episode 318: An Apple Security Slip-Up, Counterfeit iPhones, and Black Friday Shopping Tips
November 16th, 2023 | 29 mins 29 secs
Has Apple dropped the ball on providing a security patch for a popular macOS command line too? A user receives a counterfeit phone instead of an iPhone, but in a way that even Houdini might have had trouble making happen. And some tips on shopping for tech devices safely and securely during Black Friday sales.
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Episode 317: Apple, Hackers, Google, and Grok
November 9th, 2023 | 30 mins 32 secs
Apple has updated many of its operating systems, but there don't seem to be any security fixes. Can we be sure? We also discuss BlueNoroff hackers, Google deleting unused accounts, and new AI tools, including Grok, and how there are already scam apps pretending to offer access to it.
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Episode 316: Apple's New M3 Chips, and iLeakage Attack Steals Passwords and Data from Safari
November 2nd, 2023 | 30 mins 34 secs
Apple has updated all its operating systems again, the company introduced new M3 chips and upgraded MacBook Pros and iMacs, and we discuss how Apple's product line is not to big, not too small, just about right.
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Episode 315: The End of iTunes, Amazon and Passkeys, and Chrome Hiding IP Addresses
October 26th, 2023 | 29 mins 34 secs
Apple is finally planning to kill off iTunes on Windows, Amazon now offers passkeys for logins, and Google Chrome will allow users to hide their IP addresses; just like Apple's iCloud Private Relay.
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Episode 314: Why Are the Apple Pencil and iPad Product Lines so Confusing?
October 19th, 2023 | 27 mins 3 secs
Apple releases a new Apple Pencil, which joins the Apple Pencil and the Apple Pencil in the company's product line. If you think this is confusing, take a look at the current iPad models available. Apple needs to simplify. We also discuss the week's security news.
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Episode 313: DragonEgg, Watering Holes, Google Passkeys, and curl
October 12th, 2023 | 29 mins 3 secs
We look at DragonEgg malware for Android, which has a link to some Mac surveillanceware, and is a watering hole. Google is now requiring passkeys for personal accounts. And the curl command line tool has a serious vulnerability that Apple needs to patch.