The MacVoices Live! panel takes a deep dive into the self-driving car debate, weighing sensational media coverage against real-world safety data and personal experiences with autonomous taxis. Chuck Joiner, Brian Flanigan-Arthurs, Marty Jencius, Eric Bolden, David Ginsburg, Web Bixby, and Jim Rea discuss human distraction, software transparency, police interaction with automated vehicles, and whether machines can outperform inattentive drivers in real-world situations.

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Show Notes:

Chapters:

[0:00] Media coverage and self-driving incidents
[1:11] Comparing autonomous driving to human drivers
[2:20] Tesla and Waymo real-world experiences
[5:41] Ride safety and public comfort with automation
[6:52] Media bias and tech success stories
[8:27] Police interaction and system improvements
[9:47] Human distraction and societal impact
[13:35] Transparency, regulation, and AI concerns
[19:56] Interface frustrations and lighter discussion
[21:55] Scheduling notes and community wrap-up

Links:

Driverless Waymo vehicle goes through tense police stop in L.A.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/driverless-waymo-vehicle-inadvertently-takes-riders-tense-police-stop-rcna246994

The Data on Self-Driving Cars Is Clear. We Have to Change Course.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/02/opinion/self-driving-cars.html

Justin Bieber threatens Apple with 'rear naked choke hold' over Messages UI https://appleinsider.com/articles/25/12/07/justin-bieber-threatens-apple-with-rear-naked-choke-hold-over-messages-ui

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.

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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Connect:

Web:
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Twitter:
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MacVoices #25327: Live! - A Deep Dive Into Self-Driving Cars

MacVoices