The MacVoices Live! panel takes a closer look at Amazon’s Alexa+, its unusual rollout, and user experiences that raise questions about its current readiness. The panel compares AI tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot, especially in corporate environments, highlighting their strengths and limitations. The conversation shifts to a Reuters study showing social media has overtaken traditional outlets as the leading news source in the U.S., prompting concerns over misinformation, curated content, and the erosion of journalistic standards. Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Jim Rea, Web Bixby, Brian Flanigan-Arthurs, and Marty Jencius also share personal insights on AI adoption, media literacy, and the changing landscape of how we consume news.

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Show Notes:

Chapters:

00:10 Introduction to MacVoices
02:27 Amazon's Alexa+: A New Era
10:47 AI Tools in Corporate Environments
17:04 Social Media as News Source
21:43 Journalism's Evolving Landscape
24:59 The Impact of Click-driven News

Links:

I Got Early Access to Amazon’s New Gen AI Alexa+. Things Got Weird.
https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/alexa-plus-gen-ai-preview/

Social media is now the top news source in the U.S
https://9to5mac.com/2025/06/17/social-media-is-now-the-top-news-source-in-the-u-s/

Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2025
https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2025-06/Digital_News-Report_2025.pdf

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.

Brian Flanigan-Arthurs is an educator with a passion for providing results-driven, innovative learning strategies for all students, but particularly those who are at-risk. He is also a tech enthusiast who has a particular affinity for Apple since he first used the Apple IIGS as a student. You can contact Brian on twitter as @brian8944. He also recently opened a Mastodon account at @brian8944@mastodon.cloud.

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.

Dr. Marty Jencius has been an Associate Professor of Counseling at Kent State University since 2000. He has over 120 publications in books, chapters, journal articles, and others, along with 200 podcasts related to counseling, counselor education, and faculty life. His technology interest led him to develop the counseling profession ‘firsts,’ including listservs, a web-based peer-reviewed journal, The Journal of Technology in Counseling, teaching and conferencing in virtual worlds as the founder of Counselor Education in Second Life, and podcast founder/producer of CounselorAudioSource.net and ThePodTalk.net. Currently, he produces a podcast about counseling and life questions, the Circular Firing Squad, and digital video interviews with legacies capturing the history of the counseling field. This is also co-host of The Vision ProFiles podcast. Generally, Marty is chasing the newest tech trends, which explains his interest in A.I. for teaching, research, and productivity. Marty is an active presenter and past president of the NorthEast Ohio Apple Corp (NEOAC).

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.

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MacVoices #25181: Live! - Alexa+, AI Power Plays, and the Rise of Social Media News

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