Best Mac Observer Podcasts (2025)

1
Apple Personal Robots, More on Fancy Fountain Pens 56:55

1h ago56:55

56:55

Bryan and Jeff take a look at Apple’s potential path in the personal robotics space. They also talk about fountain pen nibs and whether or not Visconti pens are worth their high price tags. SPONSOR: Incogni – Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code CONTEXT at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: http://incogni.com/context Sour…

1
Our TV Catchup, Apple AI Catchup, and RCS Catchup 59:45

1h ago59:45

59:45

Bryan and Jeff talk about streaming shows they’re enjoying, how Apple is faring in the artificial intelligence space, and end-to-end encryption coming to RCS messaging. SPONSOR: Incogni – Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code CONTEXT at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: http://incogni.com/context SPONSOR: Rogue Amoeba – R…

1
Bookshop.org and New Mac Studios, MacBooks Airs, and iPad Airs 53:34

13d ago53:34

53:34

Apple’s on a roll with new product announcements. This week Bryan and Jeff take a look at the new M4 Max and M3 Ultra Mac Studio, M3 iPad Air, and A16 iPad. They also talk about independent book shops and Bookshop.com. SPONSOR: Incogni – Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code CONTEXT at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: ht…

1
France Gets Whacky on Apple and Other Privacy Things 30:19

12d ago30:19

30:19

France thinks Apple should scale back privacy protection, the UK wants access to your encrypted iCloud data, and Bryan and Jeff have plenty to say about both. They also have a couple cool apps from Iconfactory to share. Sources referenced in this episode: Apple faces likely French antitrust fine for privacy tool, sources say Apple pulls data protec…

1
Home: On #159 – Pre-gaming CES with Jimmy Hawkins 1:03:56

1M ago1:03:56

1:03:56

Each year at CES, before the actual show opens, the media has multiple opportunities to get ahead of the show’s news. Three “preview” events and numerous press conferences offer journalists, bloggers, podcasters, and influencers a peek under the tent—mostly before the show even starts. Smarthome influencer and DMZ contributor Jimmy Hawkins joins Ri…

1
Listener Email, Instagram Alternatives Update, and Collier’s 42:57

1M ago42:57

42:57

Bryan and Jeff follow up on listener emails, take a quick look at new shows on Apple TV+, and look at some Instagram alternatives. They also reminisce about defunct social media platforms, and Bryan manages to weave in the long-dead Collier’s magazine. Sources referenced in this episode: Prime Target Silo Severance The Rockford Files Shogun on Disn…

1
LG’s New 6K Display, Zuck Mucks Up Facebook, Instagram, and Threads 37:26

2M ago37:26

37:26

Bryan and Jeff talk about LG’s new UltraFine 6K display that was just announced at CES 2025. They also have some opinions on Mark Zuckerberg’s announcement that Meta is removing its fact checking for Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. Sources referenced in this episode: LG Unveils UltraFine 6K Display With Thunderbolt 5 Support Facebook and Instagra…

1
Jeff’s Run-in with (Bad) Scammers 31:35

3M ago31:35

31:35

Jeff’s parents received an AI-generated scam phone call and he was able to listen in. Bryan and Jeff talk about what happened and how you can help protect your family from falling victim to these threats. Sources referenced in this episode: Tips on Artificial Intelligence Scams Hiya Bryan’s book Accidental Intelligence Bryan’s short story King Liam…

1
HomeKit Headaches and Apple Vision Pro Rumors 36:35

4M ago36:35

36:35

It’s therapy day on The Context Machine. Jeff tries to work through his HomeKit problems, and Bryan wants a new Mac Studio revision. They also talk about the rumored Apple Vision Pro with M5 processor. SPONSOR: LinkedIn Jobs – Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/ACM. Sources referenced in this episode: Jeff’s HomeKit is broken Gurman: Apple Visi…

1
Choosing a Social Media Platform, Apple Media Events, and Dice Rolling Probabilities 57:30

5M ago57:30

57:30

Bryan and Jeff talk about what to consider when choosing a new social media platform, and whether or not Apple will host an October media event. They also discuss probability when rolling dice and conduct a live experiment at Jeff’s expense. SPONSOR: LinkedIn Jobs – Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/ACM. Sources referenced in this episode: Why…

1
Desecrating a MacBook Air, Get Ready for New D&D Changes 59:50

5M ago59:50

59:50

Sources referenced in this episode: Every Day Is Halloween (Ministry Video) Linux Mint D&D Beyond Bryan’s book Accidental Intelligence Bryan’s short story King Liam, First of His Name Mason Truman on Threads Review the show on Apple Podcasts Where to find us: The Context Machine on Twitter The Context Machine Facebook Group – Facebook The Context M…

1
Home: On #158 – Smarthome Quibbles with Allison Sheridan 47:50

9M ago47:50

47:50

Allison Sheridan from Podfeet Podcasts joins us to discuss the more problematic side of home automation—when things don’t work as expected or desired. What’s annoying us in our respective smart homes and how do we deal with problems when they arise? Why do we even put ourselves through all this? We also touch on a few interesting smart home stories…

1
Home: On #157 – Pondering HomeKit with Jeff Butts from The Mac Observer 57:39

1+ y ago57:39

57:39

Jeff Butts, Managing Editor at The Mac Observer joins us. We ponder why Signify would want to get into the security game (and why consumers would want them to), discuss some updates on previously reported news, and dive into a discussion about the current state of HomeKit. New architectures, Shortcuts, and Matter…and what’s with this Works with App…

1
Home: On #156 – The Accessible Smarthome with Dustin Boggus 42:59

2y ago42:59

42:59

MyHomeKithome YouTuber and podcast host Dustin Boggus joins Richard to talk about accessibility in the smarthome. Sure, it’s fun and futuristic to have lights and digital assistants that obey your commands and react to your presence…but what if your ability to work and live safely in your own environment depended upon it? Dustin shares his experien…

1
Home: On #155 – Restarting Insteon with Richard Sudek from Insteon Technologies 45:14

2y ago45:14

45:14

Amazon makes an infuriating money grab for Ring app features you’ve been using for years, Sonos is expected to use a product launch as an opportunity to raise prices again, and Leviton will be rolling matter support out to 2nd generation Decora Smart products with a firmware update. Finally, several quarters in now, what’s Insteon Technologies up t…

1
Home: On #154 – Fireside 2022 48:18

2y ago48:18

48:18

Richard once again joins other hosts from the Technology.FM podcasts to share in their annual tradition of the fireside chat. What caught their attention this year, what do they think will be big next year, and how did they fare with last year’s predictions? As always, this special DMZ mix offers fewer ums, fewer digital assistant triggers, and–per…

1
Home: On #153 – Sending Signals with Matt Corey 59:15

2+ y ago59:15

59:15

Chamberlain killed its overpriced, unreliable HomeKit Home Bridge, Tado has a money-saving program that might actually use more energy, Lutron adds to its Caséta lineup, and everyone’s getting into Matter (hopefully). We review all this and more with HomeKit developer Matt Corey, then talk with Matt about some of the ways he’s using HomeKit, Shortc…

1
Home: On #152 – Starting Fresh with Kent Fellure 58:51

2+ y ago58:51

58:51

You’re moving into a new home, and you want to do things right from the start. Where do you begin? This is the situation Richard’s friend Kent Fellure finds himself in, and we’re delighted to talk with him about some options for security, lighting, HVAC, and more. And of course, Kent joins in some banter about this month’s smart home news from Wemo…

1
Home: On #151 – Some Help with Robert Spivack from DoItForMe Solutions 49:22

2+ y ago49:22

49:22

What do you do when you hit a wall on your smart home projects? You can’t do something, don’t know something, or just don’t have the time. Robert Spivack of DoItForMe Solutions is here to help! That plus, of course, we discuss the latest news and updates from Philips Hue, Insteon, and Wink. Yep, Wink. They’re down. Again. Is it for good? They say N…

1
Home: On #150 – Decora Smart with Greg Rhoades from Leviton 1:00:18

3y ago1:00:18

1:00:18

IKEA has a new smart home hub in the wings with yet another name we’ll all be trying to pronounce, Amazon ditches its old Cloud Cam but makes good on customers’ investments, and Insteon is back and under new management. Greg Rhoades from Leviton joins Richard on this episode to discuss all this plus his company’s recent push into the smart home wit…

1
Home: On #149 – A New Hope with Rohan Karamandi 46:06

3y ago46:06

46:06

With Insteon gone, companies are stepping up to fill in the gaps for thousands of smart home customers. Rohan Karamandi, co-host of the Home Assistant Podcast joins us to discuss all of this. And we dive into why Home Assistant might just be the perfect solution for DIYers looking to give new life to their Insteon products. Listen to the episode he…

1
Home: On #148 – A Disgraceful Exit with Seth Johnson 1:06:25

3y ago1:06:25

1:06:25

Seth Johnson is here to help make sense of some of the latest smart home news. While it’s a slow product season, two brands, iHome and Insteon, have gone dark with little to no notice! Meanwhile, IKEA’s new cellular shades have arrived in stores, and Seth and Richard try their hand at pronouncing those product names before talking about their lates…

1
Home: On #147 – Simpler Security with Erik Glassen from Kwikset 33:28

3y ago33:28

33:28

After a year’s hiatus, we are back to catch up on some of the recent news: A new smart switch from ORRO, more delays in the Matter standard, and a retail pioneer says goodbye. Erik Glassen joins us to discuss what Kwikset’s been up to in the smart lock space, including a new biometric lock that lets you open your front door with your fingerprint. L…

1
Home: On #146 – Let’s Reset with Dave McCabe 26:54

4y ago26:54

26:54

RESET podcast’s Dave McCabe helps us reset our own show as we prepare for a new year of smart home products and services. We discuss new Ring and Philips Hue products plus a new feature from Ring and Amazon that may just freak you out a bit…but it’s pretty cool. Listen to the episode here or download it. https://traffic.libsyn.com/thedigitalmediazo…

1
Home: On #145 – Fireside 2020 52:17

4y ago52:17

52:17

It’s that time of year again! It’s time for the Technology.FM year-end fireside chat, featuring HomeTech hosts Seth Johnson and Jason Griffing plus Richard’s Smart Home Show co-host Adam Justice. And this is the DMZ’s um-free super-edit with 12 fewer minutes of vocables. What are you going to do with all that extra time! Listen to the episode here …

1
Home: On #144 – Smart Gifting with Marlon Buchanan 47:10

4+ y ago47:10

47:10

There’s still time left to get a smart gift for the favorite geek in your life. Of course, nowadays smart home products are showing up everywhere—in bedrooms, family rooms, and kitchens—and becoming a part of more people’s daily lives. Author and blogger Marlon Buchanan joins us to share some recommendations for the best smart home gifts to give th…

1
Home: On #143 – The Red Switch with Nathan Harte from Inovelli 47:11

4+ y ago47:11

47:11

Wyze introduces even more new products at record low prices, Cree returns to the smart bulb market, and Amazon is ready to leave packages inside your garage. We discuss all this and more, plus we dive into some innovative Z-Wave products with Inovelli’s Nathan Harte. This episode is brought to you by LL Flooring. Listen to the episode here or downl…

1
Home: On #142 – Smart Water with Mason Hall from Moen 44:02

4+ y ago44:02

44:02

Apple’s Adaptive Lighting is finally starting to come to products in the U.S, Wyze’s new $20 camera works indoors and out, and get ready…because Richard spends the rest of the episode gushing over his new connected faucet with Moen’s Mason Hall. Mason provides some context around how the U by Moen faucet fits into Moen’s broader smart water strateg…

1
Home: On #141 – Thread’s Back! with Dan Seifert from The Verge 1:00:42

4+ y ago1:00:42

1:00:42

Google discontinues Nest Secure while introducing new Nest products that feel a whole lot more Google than Nest. Plus product announcements from Feit, Yale, GE Lighting, and more…all with insights and perspective from The Verge’s Dan Seifert. This episode is brought to you by the new Ask This Old House Podcast. Listen to the episode here or downloa…

1
Home: On #140 – Product Recommendations with Dan Wroclawski of Consumer Reports 47:23

4+ y ago47:23

47:23

On the eve of product announcements from Google and Apple, Consumer Reports’ Dan Wroclawski joins the show to run through the latest new products from Amazon, Ring, Wyze, and more! And if you’re interested in CR’s picks in eight different smart home categories, Dan has you covered. Find out what they think are some of the best security cameras, doo…

1
Home: On #139 – Going Pro with Linden Tibbets of IFTTT 46:47

4+ y ago46:47

46:47

Level one-ups Kevo, Signify announces another expensive Philips Hue entertainment product, and Wink lets customers down…again. But the real news is IFTTT’s new Pro offering, and Linden Tibbets is here to tell us all about that and to advise Richard on how to properly pronounce IFTTT after all these years. Listen to the episode here or download it. …

1
Home: On #138 – The Latest Projects with Adam Justice 40:09

4+ y ago40:09

40:09

It’s been a while since we’ve been joined by ConnectSense CEO Adam Justice, and it’s been a while since we’ve just had a heavy news show. Adam joins us to run through some recent industry news stories, and Adam and Richard both have some updates on what’s been happening in their respective smart homes—even since just discussing their own projects i…

1
Home: On #137 – The Summer Keynotes with Chris Young from Homekitgeek 1:00:40

4+ y ago1:00:40

1:00:40

Chris Young, a.k.a. Homekitgeek, joins me to catch up on some smart home news from the past few weeks. We ponder the rash of products and services going away and Wink’s now-started subscription service, among other things. But the real meat of the conversation focuses around Apple’s and Google’s latest smart home announcements at their respective…a…

1
Home: On #136 – A Smarter Pool with Justin Miller from ConnectedYard 51:30

5y ago51:30

51:30

Sonos and Lutron deliver new hardware, Ecobee forces customers to enable its new Eco+ feature, and lots of companies deliver the products they showed at CES. Plus we talk with ConnectedYard founder Justin Miller about pHin, a connected pool monitoring system. Listen to the episode here or download it. http://traffic.libsyn.com/thedigitalmediazone/h…

1
Home: On #135 – Familiar Voices 55:57

5y ago55:57

55:57

Adam Miarka Jimmy Hawkins Dave McCabe Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Josh Pollard We have a terrific lineup of guests for this long-overdue episode, and we’re talking with each of them about projects they’ve been taking on while hunkering down this Spring for COVID. For some, it’s Spring cleaning time—for others, it’s an opportunity to test out some new p…

1
Home: On #134 – A Seamless Experience with Blake Arnold from Samsung SmartThings 54:29

5y ago54:29

54:29

Device manufacturers begin to roll out updates to enable HomeKit Secure Video and HomeKit router support, Level is shipping its stealthy smart lock, and Insteon’s long-awaited app update is now in public beta. Plus we’re joined on this episode by Samsung SmartThings product manager, Blake Arnold, discussing some of the latest platform updates and t…

1
Home: On #133 – The RF Solution with Zohar Shinar from Olibra 39:22

5y ago39:22

39:22

Some products we saw at CES are starting to hit the market while both Nest and Ring announce they’ll be requiring customers to use two-factor authentication. And Olibra’s founder and CEO, Zohar Shinar, joins us to discuss his company’s ingenious product, designed to solve a common problem in millions of households. Listen to the episode here or dow…

1
Home: On #132 – CES Wrap-up, with Josh Pollard

5y ago

—

We’re finally over our CES hangover, so it’s high time to wrap up our CES thoughts and put a bow on ’em. The DMZ’s Josh Pollard joins us to review the smart home products we took most interest in at CES 2020, including some vendor interviews and our favorite picks. Listen to the episode here or download it. http://traffic.libsyn.com/thedigitalmedia…

1
Home: On #131 – CES Realities with Molly Price from CNET

5y ago

—

CNET’s Molly Price joins the show to review the latest news and updates and to take a look back and ahead at CES. What was hot last year, which companies met the expectations they created, and which ones didn’t? And they look ahead, of course, at this year’s CES happening this very week in Las Vegas. Listen to the episode here or download it. http:…

1
Home: On #130 – Fireside '19

5+ y ago

—

It’s that time of year again. With the weather getting colder and the holidays right upon us, the Technology.FM hosts get together once again for their annual fireside chat. Now joined by Adam Justice, they discuss some of this year’s biggest smart home stories and consider what they’re each most looking forward to in 2020. So grab a warm cup of co…

1
Home: On #129 – Your Abode, with Scott Beck

5+ y ago

—

Wyze disrupts another product segment with the announcement of its new $90 smart lock, ConnectSense introduces some new products, and Abode Systems’ Scott Beck joins us to talk about their products and recent announcement that their security system is now HomeKit compatible. Does that mean we could eventually see Z-Wave devices on HomeKit? Listen t…

1
Home: On #128 – The Smartest Products, with Agnes Lorenz

5+ y ago

—

Samsung doubles down on SmartThings at the Samsung Developer Conference, Home Depot confuses customers with a new line of Philips connected bulbs that aren’t compatible with Hue, and the August View is back. Plus: Agnes Lorenz from The Smartest House joins us to dive into Z-Wave and examine the Zooz line of custom Z-Wave products that address speci…

1
Home: On #127 – Precision Cooking, with Steve Svajian

5+ y ago

—

The Wink hub seems to be one step closer to death, Google announces a bunch of new Nest products, and Signify acquires Eaton Lighting. Plus Anova Culinary’s Steve Svajian joins us to discuss the latest Smart Kitchen Summit and bring us up to speed on Anova’s latest products and announcements. Listen to the episode here or download it. http://traffi…

1
Home: On #126 – Saving Lives, with Joel Sellinger

5+ y ago

—

We have highlights from CEDIA, a ton of new products and services from Amazon, useful updates from Yonomi, and our special guest co-host, Joel Sellinger, co-founder of LifeDoor. It’s Fire Prevention Week, and nothing’s more important in the smart home than products that can help save your home from unnecessary damage and protect the people you love…

1
Home: On #125 – Saving Energy, with Mike Phillips

5+ y ago

—

Your devices and services may or may not still work with Nest now, Johnson Controls pulls Cortana from its Cortana-based thermostat, and a recent hub update brings us one step closer to the new Insteon app. Plus: Sense co-founder and CEO Mike Phillips talks about how insight into how we use electricity in our homes can help us save energy and money…

1
Home: On #124 – Smart Locks, with Lee Odess

5+ y ago

—

Lee Odess, VP from Allegion, the makers of Schlage locks, joins the us to discuss the latest smart home news. There are plenty of updates to cover, including new Sonos speakers at IKEA, new HomeKit capabilities for products already in the market, and the sad demise of Amazon’s physical dash buttons. Then Lee walks us through Schlage’s long legacy o…

1
Home: On #123 – Kitchen Design, with Katy Olson

5+ y ago

—

We have the latest news from Wyze, Nest, and more, but we’re also trying something different this time. Have you thought about redesigning your kitchen and, specifically, how technology might impact your choices and decisions? AD Pro Editor Katy Olson joins us to discuss these very issues because throwing technology into the mix without the proper …

1
Home: On #122 – Home Projects, with Jimmy Hawkins

5+ y ago

—

Insteon reveals what they’ve been working on for the past year or so, new SmartThings and Philips Hue devices will work without a hub, and Wink reminds us it’s still alive by announcing new product support. DMZ guest contributor Jimmy Hawkins joins us to run through this news and more, plus he shares some learnings through his journey adopting smar…

1
Home: On #121 – Halo Home, with Bryant Bilal

6y ago

—

Apple introduces some improvements to HomeKit at this year’s developer conference; Lutron announces a brilliant, new retrofit lighting controller; and Eaton Lighting’s Bryant Bilal joins us to talk about their residential smart lighting line, Halo Home. Listen to the episode here or download it. http://traffic.libsyn.com/thedigitalmediazone/homeon-…

1
Home: On #120 – The Reimagined Switch, with Colin Billings

6y ago

—

Google backpedals after abruptly announcing the shutdown of its Works with Nest program, Ring Smart Lighting products arrive, and the Google Assistant finally lands on Sonos devices. Orro founder and CEO Colin Billings joins us to discuss all this news plus his thoughts on how Orro plans to fill some gaps in the consumer smart lighting space. Liste…

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