This week we present the one and only Adam Engst, Editor and Publisher of TidBITS, During this episode, Gene brings up yet another highly irritating experience with AT&T support and how they mishandled his account. But the main topic is Apple’s current predicament, in which revenue for the December quarter (Apple’s 1st fiscal quarter) will fall about $5 billion below the original guidance. According to CEO Tim Cook, this is due to slumping sales in China, and the fact that iPhone owners are keeping their equipment longer before upgrading. You’ll also hear a discussion that presages the segment below, a theory of a possible significant development that might be part of the “modular” Mac Pro that Apple promises to introduce this year.

In a special encore segment, you’ll also hear from tech editor Bryan Chaffin, co-founder and co-publisher of The Mac Observer. During this segment, Bryan will also cover Apple’s move to remove unit sales from its quarterly financials and the possible impact, and Apple Music on Alexa. There will also be a discussion on the lack of 5K displays, other than Apple’s iMac and iMac Pro, and an LG display. What about reports of online blackmail, where someone claims to have discovered your password, and threatens to out you as visiting unsavory sites unless you pay the ransom, by Bitcoin. Gene and Bryan will also talk about Apple’s higher prices on its latest gear, and what about the promised Mac Pro, due out in 2019? Bryan reveals his theory about why Apple is taking so long to produce the successor to the failed “trashcan” model introduced in 2013 and never updated. Will the next Mac Pro herald a major change in the Mac platform?