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Jim Dalrymple is all ready for the holidays, and starts out his most recent visit to MacNotables with a discussion of what he's giving and giving in the way of tech, then turns to Apple's successes over the past year, and the rise of Tim Cook as Apple CEO. In the spirit of the holidays, Jim thinks we should appreciate developers and their effort a little more, and explains why. Microsoft gets a lump of coal for their handling of Windows 8 and the Surface, a discussion of OS adoption rates, expectations set, met and missed, and Jim's take on the Instagram fiasco all figure into another wide-ranging discussion with the man who says "Yep."

There's a new Mac news web site out there, and it is the creation of Dennis Sellers. The Apple Daily Report is taking a different approach to serving the Mac community. Dennis talks about their very different ad model that delivers local Apple Specialist information rather than just the same old ads that you see (and sometimes overlook) elsewhere. Dennis brings a wealth of experience to the new site, and talks about the content, how the Apple universe has changed during his career (hint: Apple won), and offers an opportunity and a resource to Apple User Groups.

It was so much fun the first time, we decided to do it again. A second MacJury panel takes on the question of holiday gifts and delivers yet another eclectic and intriguing set of picks that include both tech and non-tech options. It isn't too late to get some great gift picks from the panel of Karen Anderson, Steve Sande, Tim Verpoorten and host Chuck Joiner.

Tonya Engst make a virtual trek to be the featured speaker at the December meeting of the Hershey Apple Core Mac User Group, taking questions from the audience and asking a few of her own. Among the topics were TidBITS and Take Control Books' venture into online video, the benefits and inconveniences of updating software, the different responses to several different training methods, and more.

With the holiday season in full swing, The MacJury takes a break from the serious topics to deliver a truly eclectic set of suggestions for those on your gift list. Whether a serious geek or with no tech interest at all, your gift-giving problems are solved by the panel of Melissa Davis, Weldon Dodd, Jeff Gamet, Jean MacDonald and host Chuck Joiner.

A new Kickstarter Project with some established participants is now live, and we have a first look. Mark Fuccio and Jim Sherhart introduce us to the Transporter, a new device that will help you share and sync your data where and with whom you want, without the issues surrounding the typical cloud model. Because your data exists only on your Transporter device and others you choose, your data is more secure and more in your control. Mark and Jim explain how it works, what types of professionals are particularly interested in the Transporter's benefits, and why they are using Kickstarter as the way to get the Transporter off the ground. Be sure to listen to the interview, and then get all the details on their Kickstarter page.

Joe Kissell is almost ready to move back to the United States from Paris, but not before getting one more Take Control Books title out…but with a twist. Joe's latest effort is Take Control Live: Working With Your iPad, and is not an ebook, but a series of video presentations that you can attend live online, or gain access to after-the-fact if your schedule doesn't permit you to attend. Joe takes us through both the concept and the logistics of this offering, why he feels it is necessary to extend his reach into video, and what his plans are, so far, for Macworld | iWorld 2013.

Bob "Dr. Mac" LeVitus shares some unique perspectives on the iPad mini and how it compares to other tablet options. There are more than a few overlooked aspects of choosing a tablet device, and many people overlook them in their quest to spend the least money. Bob outlines some of them, and why he believes the iPad mini is in it for the long haul. Bob also talks about why his experiences as a college professor make him a better tech author, looks forward to what he will be doing at Macworld | iWorld 2013, and why he's looking forward to it more than the shows from "the old days."

Jeff Gamet discusses his coffee shop adventures, and why he documents them, before engaging in a thoughtful discussion that starts with is background in print and ends with the importance and opportunities that social media present to everyone. Along the way, Jeff comments on the curation and fact-checking challenges of tech journalism, how motivations can conflict with credibility, and how he factors it all in as Morning Editor of The Mac Observer.

After spending a weekend using and experimenting with the iPad mini, members of The MacJury gathered to discuss the size, screen, and camera of Apple's newest tablet. Is the iPad mini just another tablet, or does it represent the future of the iPad line? Where does it shine, and where does it fall down? Is it a device for consumption or productivity? All of this and much more is examined by the panel of Katie Floyd, John Martellaro, Derrick Story, Julio Ojeda-Zapata and host Chuck Joiner.

Daniel Bérubé and Michael Horton are back to discuss the upcoming Boston SuperMeet-Up, and how it will differ from the "usual" SuperMeet format. With a focus on networking, the SuperMeet-Up will also feature presentations by Kanen Flowers, Josh and Jason Diamond, and Tim Squyres. Dan and Mike tell us all about it, and why the event is for anyone with an interest in video production, from home movies to feature films.

Joe Kissell starts off by telling us about an upcoming location change, then dives into his latest book, Take Control of Calendar Syncing and Sharing with BusyCal. Our friends at BusyMac have just released BusyCal 2, the new version of our favorite calendar application, and asked Joe to help us all understand the sometimes complex world of sharing and syncing calendars. Joe talks about why this can be a daunting task, shares some simple but effective advice to get you started, and then turns you loose to download the new book, which is free to all, thanks to BusyMac.

After the dust settled from Apple's stunning round of product announcements, The MacJury convened to discuss, analyze and pass judgement on the newest iteration of the iPad, the new iPad mini, and the newly redesigned iMac and Mac mini. Testimony is taken on prices, sizes, feature sets and Fusion Drives by the panel of Tonya Engst, Mark Fuccio, Dave Hamilton, Omaha Sternberg and host Chuck Joiner.

Adam Engst of TidBITS and Take Control and host Chuck Joiner make a virtual visit to the October meeting of the Southern California Macintosh Owners/Users Group (SMOG) to talk about user group names, some of their favorite Mac and iOS apps, answer some questions and have some fun. (This is Part 2 of a two-part discussion.)

Adam Engst of TidBITS and Take Control and host Chuck Joiner make a virtual visit to the October meeting of the Southern California Macintosh Owners/Users Group (SMOG) to talk about user group names, some of their favorite Mac and iOS apps, answer some questions and have some fun. (This is Part 1 of a two-part discussion.) The audio-only version of this episode is available on MacNotables.