Old Mac Gang

Marty Jencius

Welcome to the Old Mac Gang podcast (or OMG!), a podcast/vodcast with a panel of long-time Mac/Apple users who want to discuss the most relevant apps and services to age-seasoned users.

  1. 1D AGO

    Apple Product Releases for Us

    Chris and Marty discuss the week’s Apple product releases and which ones seniors may be interested in. Monday, March 2 iPhone 17e - A19 chip (same as iPhone 17), 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display with Ceramic Shield 2- MagSafe finally comes to the “e” line — with faster wireless charging and a full accessory ecosystem- 48MP Fusion camera with 2x optical-quality Telephoto, 4K Dolby Vision video- C1X modem — 2x faster than iPhone 16e’s C1- 256GB base storage at same $599 starting price; available in black, white, and new soft pink- Still has the notch — no Dynamic Island- Apple Newsroom: https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2026/03/apple-introduces-iphone-17e/- MacRumors coverage: https://www.macrumors.com/2026/03/02/apple-unveils-two-new-products/iPad Air with M4 - M4 chip — up to 30% faster than M3 model; 12GB unified memory (up from 8GB)- N1 networking chip with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6- C1X modem in cellular models for faster 5G- Same design as M3 model; same colors: blue, purple, starlight, space gray- Starts at $599 (11-inch) and $799 (13-inch); pre-orders open March 4, available March 11- Apple Newsroom: https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2026/03/apple-introduces-the-new-ipad-air-powered-by-m4/Tuesday, March 3 MacBook Air with M5 (13-inch and 15-inch) - M5 chip with 10-core CPU and up to 10-core GPU; 4x faster AI performance than M4- 153 GB/s memory bandwidth — 28% faster than M4- N1 chip adds Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6- Base storage doubles to 512GB; prices start at $1,099 (13-inch) and $1,299 (15-inch) — $100 more than M4- Apple Newsroom: https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2026/03/apple-introduces-the-new-macbook-air-with-m5/MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and M5 Max (14-inch and 16-inch) - M5 Pro: 18-core CPU, up to 24-core GPU; M5 Max: 18-core CPU, up to 40-core GPU with 128GB unified memory- M5 Max memory bandwidth: up to 614 GB/s- N1 chip on all models: Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6- TechRadar live coverage: https://www.techradar.com/news/live/apple-march-2026-event-iphone-17e-ipad-air-macbookNew Studio Display and Studio Display XDR - Studio Display: 27-inch, 12MP Center Stage camera, Thunderbolt 5, $1,599- Studio Display XDR: 27-inch mini-LED, 2,000 nits peak HDR, 120Hz ProMotion $3,299 — replaces the 32-inch Pro Display XDR- Macworld live blog: https://www.macworld.com/article/3073997/apple-march-2026-event-live-blog.html​​Wednesday, March 4 — “Apple Experience” MacBook Neo — Official Announcement - Apple’s first iPhone-chip Mac laptop — officially announced at the Apple Experience event in New York City - Powered by the A18 Pro chip (6-core CPU, 5-core GPU) — the same chip in the iPhone 16 Pro; first Mac to run an A-series rather than M-series chip - 13-inch Liquid Retina display, 2408×1506 resolution, 500 nits brightness, 1 billion colors — no notch - 8GB unified memory (not upgradeable) - 256GB storage at $599; 512GB model at $699 (adds Touch ID) — base model ships without Touch ID; education pricing starts at $499 - Colors: Silver, Blush, Citrus, and Indigo - Two USB-C ports: left port is USB 3 (also supports external display output); right port is USB 2 only — no MagSafe - Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 6; headphone jack on left side - 1080p FaceTime HD camera, dual mics, dual side-firing speakers with Spatial Audio - Up to 16 hours battery life (MacBook Air offers 18 hours); no backlit keyboard on base model - Runs macOS Tahoe with Apple Intelligence; up to 3x faster on-device AI workloads vs. best-selling Intel PC laptop - Apple’s most affordable laptop ever; targets students, casual users, and Chromebook/Windows switchers       •   Apple Newsroom:             https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2026/03/say-hello-to-macbook-neo/       •   9to5Mac coverage:             https://9to5mac.com/2026/03/04/macbook-neo-is-now-official/   YouTube: youtube.com/@OldMacGang Website: ThePodTalk.net Email: ThePodTalkNetwork@gmail.com

    1h 6m
  2. 4D AGO

    March 4th Apple Predictions and Desires

    The Old Mac Gang reviews their wishes, their interests, and their potential purchases for the March 4th Apple Experience. What’s Happening on March 4? Reports from Macworld, 9to5Mac, CNET, and MacRumors all suggest Apple will introduce multiple new products in early March, culminating in activity on March 4, 2026.   Apple Set to Launch at Least Five New Products by March 4 https://www.macworld.com/article/3068255/apple-set-to-launch-at-least-five-new-products-by-march-4.html    Apple launching at least five products next week with March 4 event report https://9to5mac.com/2026/02/22/apple-launching-at-least-five-products-next-week-with-march-4-event-report/    Apple Could Unveil at Least Five New Products at March 2026 Special Experience https://www.cnet.com/tech/computing/apple-could-unveil-at-least-five-new-products-march-2026-special-experience/    Five New Apple Products Expected Next Week https://www.macrumors.com/2026/02/22/five-new-apple-products-next-week/  Expected Product Announcements 1. New iPad Line Updates Rumors suggest updates to: - iPad Pro (potential M3 or M4 chip refinement) - iPad Air refresh - Possibly a new Apple Pencil iteration What to watch for: - OLED expansion? - Chip bumps - Battery efficiency improvements - More aggressive education pricing?   2. Mac Updates Possible announcements include: - MacBook Air refresh - Mac Studio update - M4 chip expansion into more models The big question: Is this a spec bump cycle — or something meaningful?   3. Accessories & Ecosystem Updates There’s speculation about: - Updated Magic accessories (USB-C refinements) - Possibly AirPods updates - Ecosystem alignment across devices YouTube: YouTube.com/@OldMacGang Email: ThePodTalkNetwork@gmail.com Website: ThePodTalk.Net

    36 min
  3. FEB 19

    Apple Reminders

    The Old Mac Gang chats about their use of Apple Reminders and functions that have yet to try. Simple Things You Can Start Using Today 1. Use Siri for Quick Capture “Hey Siri, remind me to call Bob tomorrow at 9 AM.” “Remind me to take the chicken out of the freezer when I get home.” 2. Location-Based Reminders Set reminders triggered by arriving at home, leaving the office, or arriving at a specific store. Example: “Remind me to return the Amazon package when I get to UPS.” 3. Smart Grocery Lists Create a list called “Groceries.” Reminders automatically categorizes items like Produce, Dairy, Meat, Bakery. 4. Subtasks for Small Projects Create a reminder called “Prepare for Tax Appointment” and add subtasks such as Print bank statements, Download 1099, Gather receipts, Email accountant. 5. Scheduled + Recurring Reminders Perfect for medications, trash day, monthly backups, calling parents, paying quarterly taxes. 6. Tagging and Smart Lists Add tags like #health, #podcast, #errands, #work and create Smart Lists to group them automatically. 7. Shared Lists Share lists with spouse, family, co-host, or committee members. Resources Apple Reminders Overview: https://support.apple.com/en-us/102484  Mac User Guide: https://support.apple.coUse Reminders on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Supportm/guide/reminders/welcome/mac  Using Location-Based Reminders: https://support.apple.com/guide/reminders/add-dates-or-locations-to-reminders-remnd4b206fb/7.0/mac/26  Using Tags in Reminders: https://support.apple.com/guide/reminders/tag-reminders-remn45640f4f/7.0/mac/26  Shared Reminders Lists: https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/share-and-collaborate-iph2a8f9121e/26/ios/26  Due https://www.dueapp.com/ Things https://culturedcode.com/things/   Subscribe, share, and join us next time for more practical Apple talk. YouTube: youtube.com/@OldMacGang Website: ThePodTalk.net Email: ThePodTalkNetwork@gmail.com

    32 min
  4. JAN 29

    iOS26 Call Waiting & Screening

    The Old Mac Gang shares their ideas about use of call waiting and screening on iOS 26 Reference Links How to use Call Screening on iPhone | Apple Support
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ir_hrbFHMk  How To Enable Call Screening On iPhone (iOS 26) - Full Guide https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRSBm3GM1kM Screen and block calls on iPhone
https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/screen-and-block-calls-iphe4b3f7823/ios  Manage unknown callers on iPhone
https://support.apple.com/en-us/111106  Apple Details iOS 26 Features Like Call Screening, Live Translation, AutoMix, and More https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/apple-details-ios-26-features-like-call-screening-live-translation-automix-and-more.2466226/ How to Set Up Call Waiting (iOS 26) 1. Open Settings
 2. Tap Apps → Phone
 3. Tap Call Waiting
 4. Toggle Call Waiting ON
 Note: Call Waiting availability depends on your carrier. How to Set Up Call Screening / Spam Handling 1. Open Settings
 2. Tap Apps → Phone
 3. Review options for Unknown Callers and Spam Filtering
 4. Enable the options that match your comfort level

 Tip: If you are expecting calls from doctors, schools, or businesses, check voicemail and Recents regularly.

Adjusting volume and ringtones for specific contacts
Selective Ring Volume Based on Callers on iOS You can customize your iPhone to control the ring volume based on specific callers using the  Focus Mode feature along with custom ringtones. Here's how to do it: Setting Up Focus Mode 1. Open Settings on your iPhone. 2. Tap on Focus 3. Choose the Focus mode you want to customize (e.g., Do Not Disturb). 4. Tap on People. 5. Under the Allowed Notifications From section, add the specific contacts whose calls you want to receive while in this mode. You can allow calls from favorites, specific contacts, or groups. Custom Ringtones for Contacts 1. Open the **Contacts** app. 2. Select a contact you want to customize. 3. Tap on **Edit** in the upper right corner. 4. Scroll down to **Ringtone** and choose a unique ringtone for them. 5. Tap **Done** to save. Adjusting Ring Volume To ensure the specific ringtone is heard, you might want to adjust your overall volume: - Use the volume buttons on the side of your iPhone to control the ring volume when no other notifications are active. These steps ensure that when specific people call, their unique ringtone can be easily distinguished, allowing you to set your volume accordingly. YouTube: youtube.com/@OldMacGang Website: ThePodTalk.net Email: ThePodTalkNetwork@gmail.com

    32 min
  5. JAN 8

    Predictions for this year’s Apple releases

    The Old Mac Gang speaks out the new year predictions of Apple releases. Everything Apple Is Releasing in 2026: iPhone Fold, LLM, Low‑Cost MacBook and More  https://www.macrumors.com/guide/what-to-expect-from-apple-2026/ Apple will launch 20+ new products next year, here’s what’s cominghttps://9to5mac.com/2025/12/22/apple-will-launch-20-new-products-next-year-heres-whats-coming/ 5 new Apple products for 2026 that will change everything  https://www.tomsguide.com/tech/apple-in-2026 Will Apple kick off 2026 with a bang or a whimper?https://www.macworld.com/article/3017533/will-apple-kick-off-2026-with-a-bang-or-a-whimper.html Apple 2026 Product Launch Timeline (Rumored & Expected) Early 2026 (Winter–Spring)• iPhone 17e – Budget-friendly iPhone refresh.• Low-Cost MacBook – Entry-level MacBook using Apple silicon.• MacBook Air (M5) – Chip update and minor refinements.• MacBook Pro (M5 Pro / Max) – Performance refresh.• Studio Display / Pro Display XDR – Next-generation displays.• Entry-level iPad (12th gen) – Updated chip and Apple Intelligence support.• iPad Air (M4).• iPad mini (OLED, possible).• AirTag 2 – Improved UWB tracking.• Apple TV 4K refresh• HomePod Touch / HomePad – New smart display.• HomePod mini 2.Mid-2026 (Summer)• Mac mini (M5).• Mac Studio (M5 Max / Ultra).• WWDC 2026 – iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27 announced. Fall 2026 (September–October)• iPhone 18 Pro & Pro Max.• Foldable iPhone (first generation).• iPad mini OLED (if not spring).• AirPods Pro 3 (with cameras).• Apple Watch Series 12.• Apple Watch Ultra 4.• MacBook Pro redesign (OLED). Late 2026 / TBD• Apple AR Glasses (possible slip to 2027).• Smart Home accessories (camera, doorbell). YouTube at YouTube.com/@OldMagGang and wherever you get your podcasts. Our email is: ThePodTalkNetwork@gmail.com Our website is ThePodTalk.Net

    40 min

Ratings & Reviews

4.4
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

Welcome to the Old Mac Gang podcast (or OMG!), a podcast/vodcast with a panel of long-time Mac/Apple users who want to discuss the most relevant apps and services to age-seasoned users.

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