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676: OS 27 Support, Siri AI, and the New Backup Reality

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The hosts discuss early impressions of iOS 27 on an iPhone 15 Pro Max and interest in Siri AI on newer iPhone hardware, plus Apple’s macOS 27 compatibility list ending Intel support while continuing support for 2020 M1 Macs, which they estimate could extend security updates to roughly 2029. They debate device lifespans for home and business, note iOS 27 supports iPhone 11, and consider how Siri AI’s on-device, voice-first, screen-aware approach could change form factors and competition. A cautionary story highlights lost Quicken 2016 data due to missing backups and limitations of iCloud Drive and Backblaze, including Backblaze’s cloud-sync folder controversy and retention/restore issues, while Carbon Copy Cloner’s option to temporarily download cloud-only files is raised. They recount multiple Migration Assistant failures resolved by re-wiping and redoing the migration, identify a client complaint as Stage Manager, and briefly cover testing the UniFi 5G Max cellular backup with AT&T and a low-income T-Mobile-based SIM option.

00:00 OS 27 First Impressions

01:13 macOS 27 Compatibility Shift

02:34 M1 Macs Longevity

05:34 Upgrade Cycles and Siri AI

08:30 Siri AI and Voice Future

10:50 AI Hardware Beyond Phones

13:05 Quicken File Lost

15:09 Backblaze Cloud Sync Fallout

23:24 Carbon Copy Cloner Workaround

26:54 Backup Strategy for Workstations

28:20 Migration Assistant Stalls

29:24 Migration Keeps Dropping

30:36 iCloud Backup Wish

31:25 Thunderbolt Reset Fix

32:55 Fallback Migration Options

33:59 Why Did It Fail

34:59 Sam’s Reboot Mystery

36:56 Backups and Backblaze Rant

40:21 Stage Manager Diagnosis

42:48 Settings Menu Weirdness

46:26 UniFi 5G Max Testing

50:18 Wrap Up and Goodbye

674: Champing at the Bit for iOS 27 and Ghostly Hackers

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The hosts discuss Jerry installing iOS 27 beta on an iPhone 15 Pro Max and watch, reporting strong stability, snappy performance, and minor reported edge-case crashes, while noting Siri AI requires newer hardware due to RAM constraints and that others find the new Siri improved. Joe shares a fresh issue deploying an MDM configuration profile to disable Siri: users still received “unable to use Siri” prompts because “Listen for ‘Hey Siri’” could remain enabled, requiring removing the profile, turning it off locally, and reapplying; Apple Intelligence also wasn’t fully disabled. Sam describes improving client offboarding by building a monday.com form that feeds Zendesk tickets, and the group compares running lean teams, using subcontractors and Foundation as pay-as-you-go helpdesk support (including an optional branded phone line). They also cover business uncertainty, tax-law changes affecting S-corps, and handling time-consuming “I’ve been hacked” client calls.

00:00 Show Kickoff Banter

00:35 iOS 27 Beta First Impressions

01:42 Installing Live and Siri AI Limits

04:40 MDM Glitch Disabling Siri

07:52 Advising Clients on Apple AI

10:16 Offboarding Workflow in Monday

12:25 Solo Juggling Without the Team

15:49 Jerry Business and Tax Updates

19:05 Hacked Device Panic Call

20:51 Explaining Normal iOS Mac Features

22:46 Clean Bill of Health Limits

24:07 Lean Teams and Overhead

28:51 Using Outsourced Helpdesk

29:58 Onboarding Big Client While Away

34:56 Pricing and Custom Phone Line

37:57 How to End Free Calls

41:56 Defining Success and Boundaries

45:23 Wrap Up and Outro

673: AI for IT Workflows, Solutions and Apple’s Slow Siri Rollout

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In this episode of Command Control Power, the hosts discuss practical IT uses of AI, including improving client communications, speeding email migration due diligence via AI-generated PowerShell reporting (mailbox size, forwarding rules, aliases, naming pitfalls, licensing limits), and reducing billing friction by summarizing recorded RingCentral calls in Claude to log hours and generate detailed invoices, including for Ubiquiti camera projects. They debate risks such as blindly running AI-suggested commands, clients acting on AI advice, and data leakage when employees paste company information into public AI tools, emphasizing guardrails, policies, and potential local/private AI setups (e.g., Mac mini with Ollama). The conversation broadens to AI’s impact on IT business models, automation in ticketing, and Apple’s lackluster AI progress, delayed Siri features, privacy positioning, and reliance on partners like Google/Gemini.

00:00 Show Kickoff

00:02 New Studio Tour

00:31 Flag Outage Story

01:35 AI Migration Prep

03:26 PowerShell Due Diligence

05:36 Call Summaries Invoicing

07:31 Automating Call Logs

09:35 AI As Expert Helper

11:51 Safety With Commands

12:58 Clients Using AI

13:54 Data Privacy Guardrails

17:17 Industry Shift Fears

20:07 Auto Reply Ticketing

24:18 Local AI Knowledge Base

26:02 AI Eats Software

27:35 Future Of IT Services

29:04 AI Automation Ethics

30:06 Market Pressure On IT

31:03 Apple Intelligence Doubts

33:10 Privacy And Gemini

35:06 Apple Strategy And Mindshare

37:43 MDM Guardrails Needed

39:39 First Mover Myth

43:32 Ubiquity And AirPods AI

47:21 Beta Plans And Rollout

48:06 AI Policy And Profiles

51:32 Wrap Up And Outro

Best Of CCP - Interview With Dave Hamilton - CEO of BackBeat Media, Mac Geek Gab, Gig Gab, and Business Brain Podcasts

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Topics:

-This week we welcome Dave Hamilton of Mac Geek Gab!

-Dave actually grew up a street away from our very own Joe Saponare.

-Dave has some knowledge on the music history in the area.

-Dave has known his co-host, John Braun since they were 15 years old.

-He remembers the days of NCSA Mosaic.

-The Mac Observer and BackBeat Media are just some of Dave’s major accomplishments.

-Wasn’t 2001 just a few years ago?

-Dave takes us down memory lane in the early days of The Mac Observer.

-His original plan was not to continue hosting Mac Geek Gab.

-Being persistent paid off as he reached out to Steve Jobs himself to be included in their new Podcast Directory.

-In both Texas and the northeast, Dave has a quite a technical background.

-Quick Tip from Joe - If the minimum brightness is too bright on your iPhone, you can Reduce White Point under Accessibility>Display & Text Size.

-We talk about listener burnout in the podcast world.

-Mac Geek Gab is on episode 941!

-A tip that Jerry heard on Dave’s show was about Tailscale, which makes a virtual network out of your devices, no matter where you are.

-Sam talks about some tips he learned on recent episodes of Mac Geek Gab.

-The simple stuff is why you get paid the “big bucks”.

-Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast is another show Dave co-hosts with Shannon Jean.

-The 20 minute rule - keeping clients engaged every 20 minutes along the way.

-Besides his podcasts, you can find Dave at https://www.davethenerd.com or on Twitter @davehamilton

672: Apple TV Picks, Disclosure Theories, and Practical macOS Admin Tips

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The hosts discuss Apple TV shows they were late to, including The Morning Show and For All Mankind, and talk about Hail Mary Project, comparing the film’s “E.T.-esque” choices to Andy Weir’s book. They segue into UFO/alien “disclosure” chatter, mentioning Spielberg’s upcoming Disclosure Day, the film Age of Disclosure, alleged legacy programs, and the idea that disclosure could distract from other news. The conversation returns to Apple and IT topics: an Apple fix for managed login window settings not resetting, a Family Sharing change allowing adult members to use their own payment methods, and why hidden Wi‑Fi networks trigger Apple security warnings. They share productivity tips, including a Shortcut to sort Contacts by creation date, NFC tag uses, remapping Safari’s Quit shortcut, menu bar icon spacing via defaults write, Finder column auto-sizing, and Boring Notch. Jerry describes building a client podcast studio around the RØDECaster Video S and Rode support, then they explain using Adigy DDM to automate macOS updates and upgrades with policies, scheduling, and monitoring alerts.

00:00 Show Kickoff Banter

00:18 Apple TV Catch Up

02:12 Hail Mary Debate

04:25 Disclosure Day Talk

07:32 Mac Login Banner Bug

09:47 Family Sharing Payments

10:50 Hidden WiFi Warning

13:25 Contacts Sort Shortcut

17:47 NFC Shortcut Ideas

20:38 Safari Quit Remap

24:00 Menu Bar Icon Tools

24:56 Menu Bar App Trust

26:16 Declutter Menu Bar

27:09 Shrink Icon Spacing

29:04 Finder Column Autosize

30:28 Boring Notch Tricks

32:10 Building Podcast Studio

33:17 RodeCaster Video S

39:27 Video Podcasts Debate

41:51 DDM Updates Workflow

49:20 DDM Policies and Alerts

55:32 Wrap Up and Patreon