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Mac Geek Gab — Apple Tips, Tricks, and Troubleshooting

Mac Geek Gab — Apple Tips, Tricks, and Troubleshooting

By: Dave Hamilton Pilot Pete & Adam Christianson
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Get answers to your Apple tech questions every week! Dave Hamilton, Adam Christianson, and Pilot Pete share tips, tricks, and troubleshooting advice for your Mac, iPhone, iPad, and more — all delivered in a fun, friendly way that helps geeks and everyday users alike. Don’t Get Caught without your tech working right!The Mac Observer, Inc. 2026 Politics & Government
Episodes
  • WWDC 2026 Reactions, Tailscale Tricks, and Charging Hacks That Work

    WWDC 2026 Reactions, Tailscale Tricks, and Charging Hacks That Work
    Jun 15 2026
    This week on Mac Geek Gab, you’re stacking up power moves from the jump. You’ll learn how to clean up messy lists in your favorite text editor, discover that any USB-C port on your MacBook can charge it, and find out why you should be charging your power bank from random ports instead of your iPhone or Mac. iPhones can now serve as Tailscale exit nodes — and that leads down a tangent where the guys dig deep into subnet routing so you understand exactly what that unlocks. You’ll also pick up how to save PDFs on iPhone when all you see is a print icon, how to use Apple Intelligence in Pages to reformat text as recipes, and how to clean up MacWhisper transcripts before anyone sees the raw chaos. Don’t Get Caught running Plex in Low Power Mode, either — there’s a fix for that. Dave also stumbled into a wild Fable moment when the AI found onto an unpublished API and decided to throttle itself back to Opus. Then the crew pivots to WWDC 2026 reactions, and there’s a lot to unpack. One big theme is refinement and stability: the new Liquid Glass slider is a visual treat, and Dave’s already running the beta without disaster. Apple Intelligence is getting a serious upgrade, with Siri becoming more contextually aware of what’s on your device, though the guys push back on where it still falls short compared to tools like Claude Cowork. Parental controls got a surprisingly large share of the spotlight for a developer conference, signaling Apple wants to own the conversation around kids and screen time — this leads to the interesting question of whether spouses can choose to hold each other accountable. Apple Vision Pro gets a Siri Orb and custom panoramas, and iOS 27 dev beta now includes a Recovery mode. Adam’s live from Nerdtacular 2026, and if you’re heading to Macstock, the discount code MACGEEKGAB saves you fifty bucks! 00:00:00 Mac Geek Gab 1146 for Monday, June 15th, 2026 00:03:35 June 15th: Take Your Cat to Work Day Pete lost his cat and she found her way home! MGG Monthly Giveaway – Win a license to SaneBox Quick Tips 00:00:01 Heidi-QT-Clean up messy lists with your favorite text editor00:07:13 Dan DXZDB-QT-You can use your MacBook’s USB-C Ports to Charge it, too! AlDente 00:09:23 Chris-QT-1143-Charge your Power bank from random charging ports, not your iPhone or Mac00:12:34 Dave (accidentally) ran into a Fable overstep! It had to throttle down to Opus after it found a company’s unpublished API 00:15:03 Adam is at Nerdtacular 2026 Use the Mac Geek Gab app for the calendarMacstock MGG Discount Coupon: MACGEEKGAB 00:18:43 Phil-QT-Saving Documents as PDFs on iPhone When You Only See a Print Icon00:20:42 Donald-QT-1145-iPhones can be used as Tailscale exit nodes00:26:56 Tailscale Subnet Routing00:29:19 Dom Bettinelli-QT-Clean Up your MacWhisper transcripts00:30:44 Clif-QT-Use Apple Intelligence in Pages to Reformat as Recipes00:31:50 QT-Low Power Mode vs. Plex on macOS Sponsors 00:36:38 SPONSOR: Decagon. Ready to transform your customer support? Decagon helps companies create personalized, concierge-style customer experiences with AI agents across chat, email, voice, and SMS. Go to https://decagon.ai/MGG to get a personalized demo and see what Decagon can do for your team.00:38:16 SPONSOR: Shopify. In 2026, stop waiting and start selling with Shopify. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at https://Shopify.com/MGG00:39:57 SPONSOR: CleanMyMac. Get Tidy Today! Try 7 days free and use our code MACGEEK for 20% off at https://clnmy.com/MACGEEK WWDC Reactions 00:41:32 Operating Systems are focused on refinement Liquid Glass sliderDave’s running the beta…successfully! 00:48:29 Apple Intelligence and Siri AI and Gemini and all of that “Profoundly more capable Assistant”Siri is aware of what’s on my screen? 01:05:10 Where’s the Siri equivalent of Claude Cowork? AI is Assistive Intelligence 01:13:11 WWDC Features Apple Vision Pro Siri Orb and Custom Panoramas 01:13:32 Parental Controls got a LOT of time…for a developer conference Apple wants to be a market leader here in solving this social problemDave’s question: Can my wife and I set up one another as accountability partners for screen time? 01:18:53 Richard-CSF-iOS27 Dev Beta has Recovery mode 01:21:00 MGG 1146 Outtro MGG Monthly GiveawayBandwidth Provided by CacheFlyPilot Pete’s Aviation Podcast: So There I Was (for Aviation Enthusiasts)The Debut Film Podcast – Adam’s new podcast!Dave’s Business Brain (for Entrepreneurs) and Gig Gab (for Working Musicians) PodcastsMGG Merch is Available!Mac Geek Gab iOS appMac Geek Gab YouTube PageMac Geek Gab Live CalendarThis Week’s MGG Premium ContributorsMGG Apple Podcasts Reviewsfeedback@macgeekgab.com224-888-GEEKActive MGG Sponsors and Coupon Codes ListBackBeat Media Podcast Network
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    1 hr and 24 mins
  • Mic-graines and Infotainment!

    Mic-graines and Infotainment!
    Jun 8 2026
    Your iPhone might be running hot and draining fast — and it’s not just you. Dave and Pilot Pete break down the battery chaos introduced by iOS 26.5, which brought overheating, accelerated drain, and even blocked wired charging on iPhone 17 and Air models. The fix that’s working for most people: disable iCloud Keychain first, run Reset All Settings, then carefully re-enable iCloud sync — otherwise you’ll nuke your Wi-Fi passwords across every device. iOS 26.5.1 is out and should help, but until you’ve updated, your electrons deserve better. You’ll also learn why Apple ID passkeys are locked to Apple’s own keychain with no known path to third-party managers like 1Password or Keeper, and why editing a contact on a modern Mac can somehow peg every CPU core — in 2026, no less. From there, Dave and Pete tackle the full listener mailbag: how to rescue missing contact names from Messages, the right way to boot a MacBook with a broken display into clamshell mode so it actually uses the external monitor, and a deep dive on 5K vs. 4K displays where Dave argues your eyes may not care as much as the pixel-per-inch math suggests. You’ll get smart ideas for repurposing a 2015 iPad Pro that can’t run modern apps — including Dave’s Claude Code-built weather dashboard running off a headless iMac as a web interface. A crashing 2021 MacBook Pro turns out to have been felled by a single bad SD card, and the lesson is golden: feed your crash reports to an LLM and let it do the digging. And Don’t Get Caught with outdated OpenAI macOS apps — update ChatGPT, Codex, Atlas, and Codex CLI before June 12th to stay ahead of a code-signing rotation triggered by a compromised open-source library. 00:00:00 Mac Geek Gab 1145 for Monday, June 8th, 2026 June 8th: National Best Friends DayMGG Monthly Giveaway – Win a license to SaneBox Quick Tips 00:00:01 Dan-QT-Multi-select on iPhone with a quick drag00:04:31 Tim-QT-Have iOS 26.5 Battery Drain? Reset All Settings, but be careful!00:13:32 Kent-QT-1144-Collapse stacks by clicking the down-facing carat in the menu00:14:15 Mark-QT-Match Frame Rate on your Apple TV for smoother experiences00:17:58 What are the differences between refresh rates and frame rates and…why?00:21:09 KiwiGraham-QT-Apple Account Passkeys vs. Third Party Password Apps Sponsors 00:23:09 SPONSOR: Keeper. Right now, Keeper is offering our listeners 60% off personal and family plans at https://Keepersecurity.com/MGG. This offer is only for podcast listeners!00:24:50 SPONSOR: Helix Sleep makes premium mattresses and bedding that are customized to fit your personal needs, and conveniently shipped to your door. Go to https://helixsleep.com/MGG for 20% Off Sitewide.00:26:23 SPONSOR: NordLayer Browser. The business browser built for how modern work actually happens — giving IT the visibility and control to secure SaaS, stop phishing, and prevent data leaks right at the source. Your Questions Answered and Tips Shared! 00:28:09 VaShaun-How can I restore lost Contacts on my Mac?00:37:36 Si-What to do with an 11-year-old iPad? Claude Code 00:46:40 Michael-Why do we have to pull-to-refresh for updates?00:50:04 Blake-1144-Damaged displays, external monitors, and MonitorControl00:55:48 Joe & Michael-CSF-1144–RetinaDesk.com for reviews of 5K and 6K monitors BenQ MA270UP 27” 4K Display Reviews 01:02:50 Hog fan and Cowboy fan-MGG Review–Favorite Tech podcast Don’t Get Caught 01:04:14 Father John-DGC-Investigate those crash reports before you replace your Mac01:09:26 Update your ChatGPT Apps ChatGPT DesktopCodex AppCodex CLIAtlas 01:11:06 Andy-DGC-When Troubleshooting, Don’t Get Caught asking the wrong questions or assuming the wrong facts 01:19:36 MGG 1145 Outtro MGG Monthly GiveawayBandwidth Provided by CacheFlyPilot Pete’s Aviation Podcast: So There I Was (for Aviation Enthusiasts)The Debut Film Podcast – Adam’s new podcast!Dave’s Business Brain (for Entrepreneurs) and Gig Gab (for Working Musicians) PodcastsMGG Merch is Available!Mac Geek Gab iOS appMac Geek Gab YouTube PageMac Geek Gab Live CalendarThis Week’s MGG Premium ContributorsMGG Apple Podcasts Reviewsfeedback@macgeekgab.com 224-888-GEEK Active MGG Sponsors and Coupon Codes ListBackBeat Media Podcast Network
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    1 hr and 22 mins
  • Translate Anything, Tame Your Desktop, and Dodge the Plex Price Hike

    Translate Anything, Tame Your Desktop, and Dodge the Plex Price Hike
    Jun 1 2026
    This week you’ll learn to lean on Apple Intelligence to translate almost any text on the fly, lock down and hide sensitive apps on iOS, and finally tame your Desktop by remembering it’s just part of the Finder: flip on Stacks and/or let Hazel do the sorting for you. You’ll dig into why a 4K monitor looks different on your Mac than it does on Windows or Linux, hear how a BenQ display stacks up against a beloved LG, and grab Mirror Mode and BetterDisplay tricks for when you power down an external screen. Cracked your MacBook screen? Hook up an external display to rescue your data, or give that machine new life as a headless server. You’ll also get Siri reminding you the moment you arrive somewhere, and discover why your robot vacuum deserves an annual reset. Then it’s your questions: whether you actually need a Plex Pass, and how to not get caught off guard when the lifetime price leaps to $749.99 on July 1st! Plus how to wrangle your @mac.com, @me.com, and @icloud.com addresses and confirm a cable is truly PD-qualified before you trust it. Cool Stuff Found rounds things out with a color-screen USB cable tester, single-purpose apps that nail one job, agentic coding adventures, a Logitech Combo Touch case for your iPad Pro, and Mole’s brand-new macOS app. And when your Mac finally screams that it’s out of space? You’ll know exactly what to do. Don’t Get Caught missing it. 00:00:00 Mac Geek Gab 1144 for Monday, June 1st, 2026 June 1st: Flip a Coin DayMGG Monthly Giveaway – Win a license to SaneBox Quick Tips 00:00:01 Clif-QT-Use Apple Intelligence to translate (almost) any text00:03:33 Pilot Pete-QT-iOS Secure Apps & Hide Apps iOS Mac Geek Gab YouTube Channel Shorts 00:05:41 Ben-QT-Reminder that the Desktop is part of the Finder00:06:33 Using Stacks on the Desktop Finder, move to Desktop, then View > Use StacksUse Hazel to keep your Desktop, Downloads, and more organized 00:12:39 Albert-QT-Why a 4K Monitor is Different on Mac vs. Windows/Linux00:16:01 BenQ MA270UP 27” 4K Display looks (to Dave) as good as his former LG Display00:20:04 Drewski-QT-Mirror Mode helps when powering off a connected external monitor BetterDisplayLG 27UP850K-W 27-inch Ultrafine 4K UHD that Adam uses 00:23:55 What to do when your MacBook screen is broken? PrismCast 00:27:11 Pilot Pete-QT-Ask Siri to Remind you to do something when you arrive at a location00:29:31 Dave-WWDC week vs. a Red Barchetta Nerdtacular 00:32:34 Dave-QT-Reset all your robot vacuum once a year Sponsors 00:35:02 SPONSOR: CarGurus. Buy or sell your next car today with CarGurus. Check it out at https://cargurus.com/00:36:44 SPONSOR: NordLayer Browser. The business browser built for how modern work actually happens — giving IT the visibility and control to secure SaaS, stop phishing, and prevent data leaks right at the source.00:38:06 MGG’s Longest Continually-Running Sponsor: Bare Bones released BBEdit 16! MGG Reviews 00:39:11 Jeff Murphy-MGG Review-Favorite podcast for when I’m mowing the lawn00:39:45 NYCSteph18-MGG Review-True! At least five new things learned every week Your Questions Answered and Tips Shared! 00:40:56 Brian-Do I need a Plex Pass?00:42:34 Lifetime Plex Pass jumping to $749.99 on July 1st00:46:19 Kirit-How best to manage @mac.com @me.com and @icloud.com addresses?00:53:32 Brian-How can I tell if my cable is PD Qualified? Search UL DatabaseSearch USB.org certified databaseDescribe what you have and ask your favorite LLM to do the legwork Cool Stuff Found 00:57:57 Tom-CSF-1143-Treedix USB Cable Tester with Color Screen – $4901:00:27 Dave-CSF-MacPaw one-use-case apps01:05:33 Agentic Coding with Claude Code and more01:08:15 Pilot Pete-CSF-Logitech Combo Touch Keyboard Case for iPad Pro 13-inch (M4, M5)01:11:49 Dave-CSF-Mole now has a macOS GUI App 01:13:34 I ran out of space on my Mac!01:14:43 MGG 1144 Outtro MGG Monthly GiveawayBandwidth Provided by CacheFlyPilot Pete’s Aviation Podcast: So There I Was (for Aviation Enthusiasts)The Debut Film Podcast – Adam’s new podcast!Dave’s Business Brain (for Entrepreneurs) and Gig Gab (for Working Musicians) PodcastsMGG Merch is Available!Mac Geek Gab iOS appMac Geek Gab YouTube PageMac Geek Gab Live CalendarThis Week’s MGG Premium ContributorsMGG Apple Podcasts Reviewsfeedback@macgeekgab.com224-888-GEEKActive MGG Sponsors and Coupon Codes ListBackBeat Media Podcast Network
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    1 hr and 16 mins
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