Command Control Power: Apple Tech Support & Business Talk

The hosts discuss confusion caused by Microsoft's email warning that Publisher will end in October 2026 and urging users to convert files to PDF. Jerry shares how he's been using AI—especially Claude (and sometimes ChatGPT)—to speed up IT work: creating an Addigy printer pool by assigning static IPs to flaky Brother network printers, analyzing Mac logs with Claude to find a runaway Chrome render process causing memory pressure, and using the Quitter app to auto-quit Chrome as a workaround for battery and performance issues. He also describes fixing a weak UniFi doorbell connection by creating a 2.4GHz-only SSID and broadcasting it on multiple access points. The conversation broadens to AI guardrails, environmental and economic concerns, and social impacts. They cover security-minded IoT network segmentation, Sonos reliability, a client scare about entering a Mac password prompted by Touch ID autofill in private browsing, RingCentral sidebar customization, presbyopia eye drops, and phone accessory tips including ESR screen protectors, Spigen cases, camera lens vulnerability, battery health, and pros/cons of Apple's iPhone Upgrade Program.
 
00:00 Podcast Kickoff Banter
00:19 Microsoft Publisher Panic
01:39 AI Fixes Printer Deployments
04:19 Claude Reads Mac Logs
05:53 Quitter App Chrome Workaround
08:14 AI Ethics and Guardrails
12:07 AI Economy Bubble Talk
16:03 UniFi Doorbell WiFi Fix
20:23 IoT Networks and VLAN Trust
25:00 Sonos Reliability Updates
28:12 Experian Password Scare
30:06 Touch ID Prompts Confuse Users
32:00 V-Neck and Beard Side Chat
32:18 Beard and Shirt Banter
32:54 Eye Drops for Presbyopia
35:23 Screen Reflections on Calls
37:11 RingCentral Sidebar Hack
39:21 Best Budget Screen Protectors
41:58 Do You Even Need Protectors
44:27 Cracked Camera Lens Mystery
47:06 Battery Health and Upgrade Temptation
52:07 iPhone Upgrade Program Debate
57:54 Wrap Up and Sign Off

-We are pleased to welcome Mike Bombich, creator of Carbon Copy Cloner.
-He tells a story of losing data that inspired his creation of Carbon Copy Cloner.
-Mike spent 8 years as a creative with Apple.
-CCC was initially donation-ware.
-He never wanted to put any barrier between you and your data.
-macOS Big Sur started the downfall of bootable backups.
-Mike talks about how that affected CCC and his customers.
-We talk about Time Machine's reliability and alternatives to built in solutions.
-Mike is not a fan of backing up to disk images.
-Jerry talks about the new Quick Updates feature of CCC.
-Mike talks about his feelings on cloud storage.
-Migration Assistant is another hot topic and we get into methods of restoration.
-Mike has always had a concern about releasing software that can delete data.
-We love the fish (it's a tuna!) that guides us to privacy settings.
-He shares a bug from the Mojave days that affects helper tools, that has now been corrected in Ventura.
-Carbon Cooy Cloner's update will not be subscription based.
-Check out the latest release of Carbon Cooy Cloner and the list of new features.

Sam and Joe discuss Microsoft's plan to retire Microsoft-provided SMS and voice calls for MFA, with key dates of Sept 1, 2026 (users on SMS/voice are automatically enabled for passkeys and nudged to register) and Feb 1, 2027 (blocking enforcement for users whose only MFA is SMS/voice, no opt-out), noting paid/customer-managed telecom options and the need to warn clients, address legacy per-user MFA vs conditional access, and handle shared accounts via shared mailboxes or passkey-sharing tools. Sam recounts a prolonged Salesforce SSO/MFA issue worsened by poor vendor documentation and misleading AI guidance, ultimately tied to a Microsoft KB update. They then cover partnering with Fuji for client SOC 2 compliance support, emphasizing evidence, audits, costs, and ongoing maintenance, plus how cyber-insurance questionnaires drive security improvements. The episode also touches on residential support cases, Vision Pro support challenges with DRM blocking screen mirroring, and show wrap-up.
 
00:00 Show Kickoff
00:17 Microsoft MFA SMS Retirement
00:44 Key Dates and User Impact
03:28 Authenticator Backups and PSAs
04:40 Legacy MFA Cleanup Challenges
07:36 Conditional Access Licensing Risks
10:12 Shared Accounts and Passkeys
12:21 Salesforce MFA SSO Headaches
13:25 AI Missteps and Vendor Docs
17:50 SOC 2 Help from Fuji
21:23 SOC 2 Costs and Maintenance
22:49 Easy Buttons and Real Audits
26:27 Cyber Insurance Questionnaires
27:53 Partnering for Expertise
29:07 Cyber Insurance Foot in Door
30:31 Apple Store Referral Win
31:01 Lightroom Migration Pitfalls
34:31 Blocked Contacts Mystery
38:04 Email Search and User Training
40:02 Supporting Vision Pro Clients
47:28 Amazon Returns and Exceptions
50:24 Wrap Up and Callouts

In this episode of Command Control Power, the hosts discuss early experiences with the macOS 27 "Golden Gate" beta, noting it feels snappy and stable but breaks QuickBooks, leading one host to keep QuickBooks on a headless Mac mini running macOS 26. They cover upcoming Apple Intelligence features, including AI-assisted file renaming, Safari profiles and AI-suggested tab grouping, page-change notifications, and Apple Passwords' potential to automate password changes (which appears incomplete in testing). The conversation compares Apple Passwords with 1Password, explains passkeys with client-friendly metaphors and technical points, and notes issues caused by multiple password tools. They also review AirPods Pro 3 fit and changes, discuss hearing-aid functionality on AirPods Pro 2/3, and share troubleshooting tips for Splashtop permissions and an Apple Mail send bug tied to "check spelling before sending."
 
00:00 Show Kickoff
00:08 macOS Golden Gate Beta
01:47 Safari Tab Groups
06:18 Apple Intelligence Highlights
08:39 Passwords Auto Change
17:48 Passkeys Explained
24:01 Passkey Pitfalls
26:33 AirPods Pro 3 First Impressions
26:47 Better Fit Out of Box
27:07 Why Upgrade AirPods
28:08 Lost AirPod Find My
30:10 Sound Signature Debate
31:25 AirPods at Loud Venues
33:03 Hearing Aid Potential
37:00 Remote Setup iPhone Mirroring
42:08 Splashtop Permissions Trick
44:42 Fuzzy Mic Trend Rant
46:50 Apple Mail Send Bug Fix
49:17 Next Episode Teasers Wrap

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.