MacVoices #26172: Live! - Exploit Speed, Bot Limits, and Bad Tech Features

The MacVoices Live! panel examines Spotify adopting Apple-backed video podcast technology, Instagram's disappearing posts and why anyone would want them, and Microsoft expanding Copilot everywhere, whether it is a good idea or not. Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Jeff Gamet, Guy Serle, Web Bixby, Eric Bolden, Marty Jencius, and Jim Rea also look at the risks of putting AI mini data centers in homes, and Plex's major lifetime Pass price hike.

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Show Notes:

Chapters:

00:00 Opening: exploit speed, bot limits, and bad tech features
00:27 Spotify adopts Apple-backed video podcast technology
01:18 Video podcast standards and Apple's role
02:17 How video delivery scales across devices
03:13 Apple's RFC and the origins of the standard
04:26 Instagram's disappearing-post feature
05:18 Why disappearing content remains popular
05:55 Platform imitation and social media competition
07:04 Microsoft retires Edge Copilot mode because Copilot is everywhere
07:35 Copilot's expansion across enterprise tools
08:13 AI mini data centers proposed for homes
09:27 How home-hosted data centers might work
10:17 Power, zoning, regulation, and community concerns
13:08 Theft, internet traffic, and infrastructure problems
16:40 NordLayer sponsor message
18:02 Plex raises lifetime Plex Pass pricing
18:31 Plex Pass pricing details and July 1 increase
19:42 Why Plex may be pushing users toward subscriptions
21:55 Panelists discuss their own Plex Pass usage
22:12 What Plex Pass adds beyond free local streaming
24:44 Plex's explanation for keeping lifetime passes
25:31 Real-world Plex server setups and remote access
27:13 Closing thoughts and warning about a fake CleanMyMac site
28:02 Panelist contact information and wrap-up
36:37 Chat room thanks and live show reminder
37:10 Closing support, social, and sponsor information

Links:

Spotify to Adopt Apple's Technology for Video Podcasts

https://www.macrumors.com/2026/05/14/spotify-to-adopt-apples-tech-for-video-podcasts/

Instagram's New Snapchat Clone Makes It Too Easy to Send Disappearing Images to All Your Friends

https://lifehacker.com/tech/instagram-snapchat-clone-that-lets-you-send-disappearing-messages

Microsoft is retiring Copilot Mode on Edge, because everything is Copilot Mode now – Engadget

https://www.engadget.com/2172610/microsoft-copilot-edge-desktop-mobile/

The newest AI boom pitch: Host a mini data center at your homehttps://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/05/the-newest-ai-boom-pitch-host-a-mini-data-center-at-your-home/

Plex increasing Lifetime Plex Pass cost to whopping $750

https://9to5mac.com/2026/05/19/plex-increasing-lifetime-plex-pass-cost-to-whopping-750/

Guests:

Web Bixby has been in the insurance business for 40 years and has been an Apple user for longer than that.You can catch up with him on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, but prefers Bluesky.

Eric Bolden is into macOS, plants, sci-fi, food, and is a rural internet supporter. You can connect with him on Twitter, by email at embolden@mac.com, on Mastodon at @eabolden@techhub.social, on his blog, Trending At Work, and as co-host on The Vision ProFiles podcast.

Jeff Gamet is a technology blogger, podcaster, author, and public speaker. Previously, he was The Mac Observer's Managing Editor, and the TextExpander Evangelist for Smile. He has presented at Macworld Expo, RSA Conference, several WordCamp events, along with many other conferences. You can find him on several podcasts such as The Mac Show, The Big Show, MacVoices, Mac OS Ken, This Week in iOS, and more. Jeff is easy to find on social media as @jgamet on Twitter and Instagram, jeffgamet on LinkedIn., @jgamet@mastodon.social on Mastodon, and on his YouTube Channel at YouTube.com/jgamet.

David Ginsburg is the host of the weekly podcast In Touch With iOS where he discusses all things iOS, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch, and related technologies. He is an IT professional supporting Mac, iOS and Windows users. Visit his YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/daveg65 and find and follow him on Twitter @daveg65 and on Mastodon at @daveg65@mastodon.cloud.

Marty Jencius, Ph.D.,is a counselor educator and technology pioneer who has spent 30 years bringing emerging tech into his field — from founding one of the first professional listservs (CESNET-L) to podcasting, virtual reality, and now AI and AR. He is the founder of ThePodTalk.net, where he produces Vision ProFiles, The Old Mac Gang, A.I. Productivity Workflow, The Tech Savvy Professor, 15 Minute Bytes, The Neo Notebook, and Fade to Chat: Golden Age Cinema. He is also a regular panelist on MacVoices Live!, In Touch with iOS, and The Mac Show. Find him on Bluesky and Mastodon.

Jim Rea built his own computer from scratch in 1975, started programming in 1977, and has been an independent Mac developer continuously since 1984. He is the founder of ProVUE Development, and the author of Panorama X, ProVUE's ultra fast RAM based database software for the macOS platform. He's been a speaker at MacTech, MacWorld Expo and other industry conferences. Follow Jim at provue.com and via @provuejim@techhub.social on Mastodon.

Guy Serle, best known for being one of the co-hosts of the MyMac Podcast, sincerely apologizes for anything he has done or caused to have happened while in possession of dangerous podcasting equipment. He should know better but being a blonde from Florida means he's probably incapable of understanding the damage he has wrought. Guy is also the author of the novel, The Maltese Cube. You can follow his exploits on Twitter, catch him on Mac to the Future on Facebook, at @Macparrot@mastodon.social, and find everything at VertShark.com.

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Connect:

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