Command Control Power: Apple Tech Support & Business Talk

Joe and Jerry discuss Apple's October 28, 2026 product event, focusing on the new "MacBook Pro with Pro LED XDR display," Apple's first touchscreen Mac; it uses existing M5 Pro/M5 Max chips, adds a tandem OLED touch display, and debuts a thinner, significantly lighter chassis with improved audio, while the entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro and iMac get the new M6. They note confusing lineup naming, incremental performance changes, and pricing/upgrade math (RAM and storage), including frustration that the iMac still caps at 2TB. They cover speculation about supply constraints and unlikely price drops, Apple shipping AI-ready hardware before software (Siri), and mixed enthusiasm about AI marketing. They find the updated iPad Mini compelling for its A20 Pro, Wi‑Fi 7/Bluetooth 6, OLED, and nano-texture option. They also address reports of Apple Store subscription opt-ins, briefly mention Duo device issues and ergonomics, and end with an eBay-worthy vintage Apple director's chair.
 
00:00 Apple Event Setup
00:41 MacBook Pro Naming Mess
03:08 Touchscreen Arrives
04:17 New Chassis Breakdown
06:16 Touch UX and Hybrids
09:11 Screen Specs Reality Check
11:20 Pricing Creep and iMac Limits
14:06 Supply Constraints Debate
19:17 MacBook Air vs Pro Pricing
21:16 Thermals and Wi-Fi 7
24:20 AI Hardware and Siri Promises
27:07 Siri vs ChatGPT in Practice
29:21 Home View Expectations
30:09 Fixing Productivity Systems
32:55 iPad Mini Temptation
35:56 Incremental Apple Updates
38:53 Store Subscription Opt Ins
43:36 Managing Subscriptions Easily
47:44 Duo Defects And Buttons
51:03 Software Update Impressions
52:01 Apple Directors Chair Outro

Sam Valencia, Jerry Zigmont and Joe Saponare discuss working with Apple technology and clients. Drawn from their combined experience of over 20 years in the Apple Consultants Network, thaey discuss technical support issues both with the technology and working with clients.

Sam and Jerry record an episode of Command and Control Power without Joe, briefly discussing hiking safety, then focus on Microsoft Exchange Web Services (EWS) deprecation affecting Apple Mail on macOS and the ethical question of proactively extending EWS via PowerShell for former clients; they extended it for a few Apple Mail–using customers but wouldn't change settings for non-clients. They describe difficult troubleshooting when business addresses were previously used for personal Microsoft 365 accounts, requiring Keychain resets and, for Apple Calendar sync issues, removing Apple Internet Accounts data. Sam notes quirks with Microsoft passkey QR logins leaving the phone camera active, shares an embarrassing "good Samaritan" story at JNUC, highlights Jamf's AI governance tool, and recounts fixing his own Jamf enrollment by disabling SIP and repairing configuration profile folders before re-enrolling. They also discuss syncing the macOS Downloads folder via iCloud, cautious AI permissions, and AI's usefulness and risks.
 
00:00 Recording Setup
00:40 Welcome And Missing Joe
01:22 Bear Safety Talk
04:13 EWS Deprecation Ethics
08:37 PowerShell Fixes And WhatIf
11:28 Microsoft Credential Hell
17:05 Apple Calendar Exchange Bugs
20:23 Passkeys QR Camera Quirk
21:33 JNUC Trip And Water Bottle
25:43 Jamf Keynote And AI Governance
26:43 Jamf Cloud And Roles
27:38 Jamf Life Updates
28:29 JNUC Meetup Talk
29:10 Patch And Bird Suit
30:51 Mascot Movie Tangent
32:19 MDM Profile Meltdown
37:33 Remote Support And Sync
40:57 Syncing Downloads Hack
44:21 Finder Mail Power Tips
45:29 AI Permissions And Risks
52:08 Wrap Up And Rental Car
54:15 Credits And Goodbye

Joe and Jerry discuss using iPhone built-in Background Sounds (rain/white noise) and Joe's reliable Shortcuts automation: when power connects, if the time is after 9:55 PM or before 6:15 AM and audio isn't already playing (checked via the third-party Actions app), set rain sound and volume and enable it; Siri's shortcut generation was buggy, while Gemini helped produce working logic. They swap notes on using white noise at home and while traveling, and Joe recounts encountering a bear at night and ideas for a "bear alert" automation. They note Apple Notes lacks version history/rollback and mention the Note Export app as a workaround. Jerry describes using Claude to guide PowerShell incident response for a Microsoft 365 phishing compromise, generating reports and adding an admin-enforced outbound wire-fraud notice. They also compare Gemini/Claude/ChatGPT (including an annoying ChatGPT "pet" hotkey conflict) and praise Duolingo's habit features. Finally, Joe explains Verizon's AI chat helped clarify phone unlocking and trade-in financing rules versus AT&T's device-locking and poor chat results, influencing his upgrade decision.

Jerry describes having basal cell carcinoma removed from his nose and urges regular dermatology checkups, then shares how iOS 27 repeatedly warned him before sharing a "sensitive" stitched-and-bloody photo, even suggesting he consult a "trusted adult." Joe discusses costly RV maintenance and how machines (including hard drives) can fail when left idle, leading into Mac maintenance routines. They debate slang like "cooked," then talk Apple's new iPhone lineup, including Jerry's iPhone 13 Pro Max purchase and their mixed expectations for the first-gen iPhone Duo (weight, outer-screen constraints, camera and battery compromises) alongside improvements like cooling, battery life, and a vapor chamber. They cover Apple Watch "always listening" features, citing Gruber's privacy rationale, and discuss practical recording/summaries for medical visits. Jerry explains how Claude helps him solve technical issues, analyze security research, navigate health insurance decisions, and produce billable security reporting; they note macOS screen sharing bug fixes and mention keychain migration and safe mode articles. They tease upcoming Patreon topics about a move and walking away from a client.
 
00:00 Show Kickoff Banter
00:21 Nose Surgery Story
02:30 iOS Sensitive Image Warning
04:43 Scar Care And Skin Checks
05:19 RV Maintenance Costs
06:57 Idle Vehicles And Backup Drives
07:51 Mac Maintenance Cycles
08:57 New Slang Cooked Debate
10:32 New iPhone Pro Purchase
11:09 iPhone Duo First Impressions
13:59 Upgrading From 16 Pro
15:52 Carrier Handoff And eSIM Switching
17:56 Duo Software And Fold Durability
19:26 Foldable Display Durability
20:54 Watch Always Listening Debate
23:24 Trusted Device Privacy Logic
25:53 Real World Recording Use Cases
27:43 Claude as IT Copilot
31:33 AI Summarizes Security Research
34:49 Health Insurance With Claude
39:25 Billable Security Reporting
41:45 macOS VNC Bug Takeaways
43:00 Keychain Migration Confusion
45:33 Safe Mode and Show Wrap
46:19 Patreon Tease and Goodbye