Podcast

H.S. Principal Dr. Amy Fast - BGM Interview

John Martellaro · · Add Comment

Amy Fast is a high school principal in the McMinnville School District in Oregon. She holds a Ed.D. degree. Previously, she’s been an elementary teacher, instructional coach, and assistant principal. She is also an education commentator and author of the book, It’s the Mission, Not the Mandates.

After a brief overview of Amy’s career and a discussion of her book, we dug into the issues facing educators amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. We covered planning for remote vs. in-person classes, the technology of remote classes, teacher concerns about in-person class safety, funding for cleaning, effectiveness of remote teaching, mental health issues, and long-term changes to education in the post-pandemic era. Parents with schoolchildren and educators will find this interview enormously helpful.

Podcast

Geek Challenges, Quick Tips, and Your Network Questions Answered — Mac Geek Gab 827

John F. Braun & Dave Hamilton · · Add Comment

John and Dave take a few deeper dives today to solve your peskier problems… Geek Challenges, we like to call them (though sometimes we call them “Stump the Geeks!”). Listen as your two favorite nerds talk through creatively increasing your broadband speeds, diagnosing those CPU spikes, managing battery life, Wi-Fi issues, and more. Of course, your favorite Quick Tips are here, and maybe even a few more surprises. Press play and watch while you learn five new things!

Podcast

IT Security Manager, NIST, Bob Gendler - BGM Interview

John Martellaro · · 1 Comment

Bob Gendler is an IT Specialist in the Apple world and a Jamf guru. He holds a B.S. degree in Information Technology from the Rochester Institute of Technology. He is now part of the Mac Management team at NIST, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, in Washington, D.C.

From a very early age, Bob fell into the world of Apple starting with an Apple IIgs and, as a teenager, a Power Mac 6100. Quickly, as an undergraduate, his specialty became system administration, and, later, that served him well landing the job at NIST. Bob filled me in on his latest project, the “macOS Security Compliance Project,” and the security problem the community faced with macOS. Basically, the new GitHub project leverages a library of scriptable actions which are mapped to compliance requirements in existing security guides or used to develop customized guidance. Bob nicely explains this crucial tool, his team, and who would benefit.

Podcast

The Case for The Nuke and Pave — Mac Geek Gab 826

John F. Braun & Dave Hamilton · · Add Comment

We all love the convenience of a quick upgrade and Migration Assistant, but those bring along many needles inside the haystack that can linger and leave you with fun things to troubleshoot in the future. The reality is that sometimes the Nuke and Pave is worth it, and John and Dave talk this through. That’s not the only segment, though, FAR FROM IT! Cool Stuff Found, Quick Tips, and more and more of your questions are addressed, dissected, and yes, even answered! Press play to learn at least five new things.

Podcast

TMO Contributor Kelly Guimont (#12) - BGM Interview

John Martellaro · · Add Comment

Kelly Guimont is a long-time podcaster, Contributing Editor for The Mac Observer, the host of the Mac Observer’s Daily Observations podcast, and a tech support guru.

In her 12th appearance, Kelly and I chat about our favorite movies and TV shows of late. I open segment #1 with an extended review of the Tom Hanks movie Greyhound (Apple TV+). Next we turn to a Kelly favorite Black Monday (Showtime). I then talk about two favorite murder mystery TV shows Death in Paradise S9 (Amazon) and The Mentalist (Amazon). Kelly tells us about Romancing the Stone (DVD) and Billions (Showtime). Join us as we explore together what’s great about these shows.

Podcast

Repairing iCloud Syncing — Mac Geek Gab 825

John F. Braun & Dave Hamilton · · Add Comment

Should you update? That’s always the question, isn’t it, regardless of whether it’s hardware or software or both. This week John and Dave answer your questions about both, specifically when it comes to Apple’s offerings. That’s not all, of course. Your two favorite geeks roar through a tour of your questions, tips, and Cool Stuff Found, including segments on repairing iCloud syncing, backing up your music the right way, diagnosing CPU spikes, and more. Press play, and enjoy learning at least five new things, all while remaining perfectly socially-distanced!

Podcast

Physics Professor and Jazz Musician Dr. Stephon Alexander - BGM Interview

John Martellaro · · Add Comment

Dr. Stephon Alexander is a theoretical physicist specializing in cosmology, particle physics and quantum gravity (String Theory and Loop Quantum Gravity). He received his BSc from Haverford College and Ph.D. from Brown University. He also explores interconnections between music, physics, mathematics and technology though recordings, performance, teaching and public lectures.

Stephon tells his story about growing up in the Bronx amidst a very diverse group of students. Encouraged by his parents and teachers, he showed great curiosity and intelligence. Still, as person of color, he faced many challenges as he worked towards his Ph.D. We chatted about the mind of the physicist, physics intuition, music, the role of mathematics, String Theory and Loop Quantum Gravity as well as events before the Big Bang. If you are a young student, dreaming of becoming a physicist, this show is a must – full of inspiration and insights.