Mac Geek Gab — Apple Tips, Tricks, and Troubleshooting

You start this episode leveling up your daily workflows with fast, memorable tweaks: styling text in Notes with a long press, dropping today’s date into Google Sheets with a quick shortcut, testing your real-world network speed from the Mac, and turning any clipboard grab into a Preview window so you can annotate or export in a flash. You also learn that canceling an in‑app subscription doesn’t instantly nuke Family Sharing, why Safari’s pinned tabs might be quietly chewing resources, and how to right-size your browser use so it serves you instead of hijacking your Mac.

From there, you dive into practical tools for real life: apps to tame your family’s book library, a screensaver utility that slows things down, and current router picks spanning UniFi, TP-Link Wi‑Fi 7 options, Eero, and Orbi so your network actually matches your workloads.

You hear how to orchestrate multiple AI agents, safely archive and truly back up your mail, and keep your own chatbot from eating your inbox, plus Cool Stuff Found like Omerta, YouTube on Apple Vision Pro, and more—because in the Apple tech world, as in life, Don’t Get Caught without the right tools and backups in place.

00:00:00 Mac Geek Gab 1130 for Monday, February 23rd, 2026

February 23rd: Pinocchio Day

MGG Monthly Giveaway – Enter to win a Copilot Money!

Congrats to January’s winner, Amanda Colyer!

The MGG Merch Store is Live!

Quick Tips

00:00:01 Tom-QT-Long-press Aa in iPhone Notes to choose text styles

00:05:03 Avraham-QT-Use Command-Semicolon to enter current date into Google Sheets

00:06:46 Russell-QT-Use your Mac’s networkQuality to test your speed

00:10:30 Rob-QT-Paste Clipboard into Preview with Command-N

00:11:54 QT-You don’t immediately lose Family Sharing when you cancel an in-app subscription

On the subject of browsers…

00:13:28 Allison-1128-Safari’s Pinned Tabs can be resource hogs

00:17:18 How much are you using your browser these days, anyway?

Sponsors

00:19:30 SPONSOR: Tempo. For a limited time, Tempo is offering my listeners SIXTY PERCENT OFF your first box! Go to TempoMeals.com/MGG.

00:20:58 SPONSOR: Sundays for Dogs. Every bite of Sundays is clean and made from real meat, fruits, and veggies, with no kibble. Stanley loves it! Go right now to sundaysfordogs.com/MGG50 and get 50% off your first order. Or, you can use code MGG50 at checkout.

00:22:30 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 Shopify.com/MGG

Your Questions Answered and Tips Shared!

00:23:58 Alan-What software exists to catalog my family’s book library?

CLZ Books

Libib

BookBuddy

Sofa

Tap Forms Pro

Goodreads

00:31:22 Ken-How do I slow down my Mac’s screensaver?

ArtSaver

00:34:54 Phillip-Which router do you recommend today?

UCG Max

TP Link Wi-Fi 7 Deco BE67 (or BE68 at Best Buy)

TP Link BE63 (also Wi-Fi 7)

Eero Pro 7

Orbi Wi-Fi 7

Reviews

00:45:40 Manhattan Glen-MGG Review-Great Show

AI Learned Something! …  or … AIn’t It Cool? (Ok, obviously we need a segment name for our AI talk)

00:48:49 William-How do I set up multiple AI agents for my task?

00:55:05 Todd-QT-Use Perplexity’s website to download files it has created

00:57:09 Your mail might not be as backed-up as you think

MailSteward

01:06:57 My Chatbot ate my Inbox

OpenClaw

Cool Stuff Found

01:16:53 ATC-CSF – Omerta – Don’t Get Caught

01:19:42 Eakster-CSF-YouTube for Apple Vision Pro is here!

01:23:18 MGG 1130 Outtro

MGG Monthly Giveaway

Bandwidth Provided by CacheFly

Pilot 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) Podcasts

MGG Merch is Available!

Mac Geek Gab YouTube Page

Mac Geek Gab Live Calendar

This Week’s MGG Premium Contributors

MGG Apple Podcasts Reviews

[email protected]

224-888-GEEK

Active MGG Sponsors and Coupon Codes List

BackBeat Media Podcast Network

You get a firehose of genuinely useful Apple tips this week, starting with new muscle-memory moves you’ll actually use: cycling app windows with Cmd + `, nodding or shaking to answer AirPods, dragging apps straight from iOS search, and building Focus-specific home screens so the right icons appear at the right time.

Edge Light turns your Mac into a cleaner on‑camera rig, Display Buddy tames external monitor brightness, and custom macOS keyboard shortcuts plus Dock CPU meters give you fast, surgical control over your Mac.

Then you level up your living room: master the Apple TV remote’s scrub wheel, undo accidental scrubs, jump in precise increments, push video from iPhone to Apple TV, and fling audio to HomePod with a tap. Even Reminders gets a glow‑up so you can punt a pile of alerts in one shot instead of playing whack‑a‑mole.

From there, you zoom out to “meta” geekery: backing up critical Notes (or moving to OneNote, Ulysses, or Obsidian), even flirting with a git repo to sync prefs and personal data like a developer. On the road, you learn how to keep CarPlay tappable with gloves, and in the cloud you explore why chatbots forget context, when to bring in tools like Claude, Perplexity’s Comet, Atlas, Gemini, or Claude’s Chrome extension, and how having an always‑on troubleshooting assistant changes how you work.

Listener reviews cap it off by framing the show as a kind of PhD in troubleshooting, all so you can experiment, push your tech harder, and, of course, don’t get caught.​

00:00:00 Mac Geek Gab 1129 for Monday, February 16th, 2026

February 16th: Innovation Day

MGG Monthly Giveaway – Enter to win a Copilot Money!

Congrats to January’s winner, Amanda Colyer!

The MGG Merch Store is Live!

Quick Tips

00:00:01 Michael Ilin-QT-Press Cmd + ` to cycle all windows of that app

00:03:06 PilotPete-QT-Nod or Shake to answer your AirPods

00:05:49 Clif-QT-Relocate iOS apps by dragging from search results

Eufy Smart Scale

Withings Sleep Pad

00:07:47 Different home screens for different Focus Modes

00:11:16 QT-Use Edge Light for video calls in macOS 26.2-and-later

00:16:17 Use Display Buddy to control the brightness of your screen

00:18:09 Russell-QT-Map your own keyboard shortcuts in macOS settings

Brave Browser’s LEO AI

00:23:03 The value of an always-on troubleshooting assistant

Eney

00:26:32 Doug-QT-Set Activity Monitor to show CPU Usage in Dock

00:30:40 Apple TV Remote Quick Tip Masterclass

EyeDentify-QT-Undo Accidental Scrubs on Apple TV

Using the Apple TV remote’s scroll-wheel emulator to scrub in a fine-tuned way

Double-tap scroll wheel edges to jump forwards or backwards

Use Siri Commands, too

00:35:16 Dom Bettinelli-QT-Tap iPhone to Apple TV remote to transfer video to Apple TV

00:37:15 Tap your iPhone to your HomePod to transfer audio

00:37:45 Jeepster-QT-Procrastinate Multiple Reminders at Once

Sponsors

00:41:17 SPONSOR: CleanMyMac. Get Tidy Today! Try 7 days free and use our code MACGEEK for 20% off at clnmy.com/MACGEEK

Don’t Get Caught

00:43:56 Steve-DGC-1128-Duplicate important Notes as backup

Microsoft OneNote

Ulysses

Obsidian

00:54:56 What about a git repo to sync… prefs, notes, whatever?

Your Questions Answered and Tips Shared!

00:55:53 Steve Hammond-How can I control CarPlay with gloves on?

Capacitive Gloves for Screens and Phones

01:00:30 DJ Mac-ChatGPT and others regularly forget what I’ve told them

Try claude.ai/giggab for half-price Claude Pro

01:08:16 William-1128-How do I get my browser to surf for me?

Perplexity – Comet browser

ChatGPT – ChatGPT Atlas browser

Gemini – Gemini in Chrome

Claude – Claude in Chrome extension

Reviews

01:15:08 gdubs-MGG Review-A PhD in troubleshooting

01:16:08 michaefs-MGG Review-A great podcast

01:16:57 d32bus-MGG Review-Excellent show

01:17:39 MGG 1129 Outtro

MGG Monthly Giveaway

Bandwidth Provided by CacheFly

Pilot 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) Podcasts

MGG Merch is Available!

Mac Geek Gab YouTube Page

Mac Geek Gab Live Calendar

This Week’s MGG Premium Contributors

MGG Apple Podcasts Reviews

[email protected]

224-888-GEEK

Active MGG Sponsors and Coupon Codes List

BackBeat Media Podcast Network

This week on Mac Geek Gab 1128, you dive into a treasure chest of Cool Stuff Found with Pilot Pete, Adam Christianson, and Dave Hamilton. From DockLock Lite keeping your Dock in check to Backdrop 2.0’s animated lock screens and BookMacster’s bookmark magic, you’ll uncover smart Mac tricks you didn’t know you needed. The geeks take a nostalgic tangent into podcasting history before jumping into the now: Agentic browsers like ChatGPT’s Atlas and Perplexity’s Comet that are reshaping how you browse today. Safari killing your Tahoe? Find out why Apple’s AI choices might change how your Mac thinks.

Then it’s back to more gems: Bootable clones return with SuperDuper, World Clock Widget makes global time simple, and Fastmail’s new desktop app joins BusyCal and Fantastical in taming your digital life. You’ll also learn how not to get caught with Apple Notes overwriting your data (keep the app open until it syncs!). Wrapping up, apps like Pixeldrop, Shutter Declutter, and Brick help you tidy photos, redact safely, and silence distractions. Plus, creative NFC tag hacks that make your smart home even smarter. As always, the MGG crew makes sure you Don’t Get Caught.

00:00:00 Mac Geek Gab 1128 for Monday, February 9th, 2026

February 9th: National Clean Out Your Computer Day

MGG Monthly Giveaway – Enter to win a Copilot Money!

Congrats to January’s winner, Amanda Colyer!

The MGG Merch Store is Live!

Cool Stuff Found

00:00:01 Bruce-CSF-Neo Network Utility

00:03:30 Oskar-CSM-Backdrop 2.0 adds Custom Live Wallpapers to the macOS Lock Screen

00:04:53 Pensacola Craig-CSF-DockLock Lite to keep your Mac’s Dock from jumping

00:06:11 Jim-CSF-1118–BookMacster by Sheep Systems to edit, sort, and sync bookmarks across browsers

00:08:26 Tangent: A discussion about how podcasting (and Maccast and Mac Geek Gab) got started

00:13:35 PilotPete-CSF-ChatGPT Atlas Browser

Comet from Perplexity

00:15:00 Using Agentic Browsers is not the future…it’s the present!

00:26:04 And Safari might be killing your Tahoe

00:28:48 AI integrated into your operating system

Apple needs to choose wisely

00:35:47 CSF-Eney Beta from MacPaw

Sponsors

00:37:21 SPONSOR: Sundays for Dogs. Every bite of Sundays is clean and made from real meat, fruits, and veggies, with no kibble. Stanley loves it! Go right now to sundaysfordogs.com/MGG50 and get 50% off your first order. Or, you can use code MGG50 at checkout.

00:39:42 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 Shopify.com/MGG

MOAR Cool Stuff Found

00:41:32 Bruce-CSF-1127–ClipGrab to download YouTube videos (free download)

00:42:54 Kirschen-CSF-KeyClu replaces CheatSheet

Use Brew! brew install –cask keyclu

00:45:25 Larry-CSF-SuperDuper WILL do bootable Clones on macOS 26

Using CCC Backup to create legacy bootable copies of macOS

Idea: create a bootable external and stop once macOS is installed, leaving it ready for Migration Assistant (or anything else)

00:52:36 Andrew-CSF-World Clock Widget app

UTC=Universal Time Coordinated

Swatch Internet Time

00:56:33 David-CSF-Fastmail Desktop App for Mac

BusyCal

Fantastical

Spark Mail

Cardhop

Don’t Get Caught with notes Syncing

01:01:42 DGC-Apple Notes only syncs when the app is open on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

This can lead to sync overwrites if one device makes a change without having the latest copy.

Back to Cool Stuff Found

01:04:58 Bob-CSF-1107-Shutter Declutter helps process photos

01:11:00 rnDoug-Mole, a system maintenance tool

01:12:18 DanDXZDB-Pixeldrop for selectively redacting part of a photo

Don’t Get Caught with your data buried in PDFs

01:14:20 DGC-Save redacted PDFs as a single layer so people can’t see your layers

Back on Track with CSF

01:14:50 CSF-Brick to block distracting apps and notifications on your iPhone

01:19:38 Creatively Using NFC Tags

Use NFC Tags with the Home app

01:21:48 QT-Re-use NFC Tags that other people send you!

01:24:04 MGG 1128 Outtro

MGG Monthly Giveaway

Bandwidth Provided by CacheFly

Pilot 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) Podcasts

MGG Merch is Available!

Mac Geek Gab YouTube Page

Mac Geek Gab Live Calendar

This Week’s MGG Premium Contributors

MGG Apple Podcasts Reviews

[email protected]

224-888-GEEK

Active MGG Sponsors and Coupon Codes List

BackBeat Media Podcast Network

You move fast in this episode, stacking Quick Tips that shave friction off your day almost immediately. You tell Siri to take notes on command, record audio directly inside Notes with native transcripts, and pull off smarter gestures in CarPlay Maps and iOS 26 Safari that feel hidden in plain sight. You tame the Camera side button, rename files faster from Finder and app toolbars, and generally remind yourself that small muscle-memory tweaks compound into real time saved. This is the kind of workflow polish that keeps you ahead instead of catching up.

Then the conversation sharpens. You dig into why troubleshooting advice can be too eager to fix the wrong problem, unpack what “absolute mode” thinking really means, and react to Apple’s acquisition moves and fresh AirTag releases.

Listener questions take you into practical territory like grabbing a single frame from video, sharing iCloud calendars with Android users, and understanding how features get quietly “nerfed,” leading to Pilot Pete’s perfectly named Newly Effectuated Reduced Functionality.

You wrap with Cool Stuff Found that spans Vision Pro accessories, immersive gaming, and travel-ready power. The throughline is clear: know what still works, notice what’s been taken away, and adapt before it costs you time. Don’t Get Caught.

00:00:00 Mac Geek Gab 1127 for Monday, February 2nd, 2026

February 2nd: The Record of a Sneeze Day

MGG Monthly Giveaway – Enter to win a copy of Copilot Money!

The MGG Merch Store is Live!

Quick Tips

00:00:01 Gene-QT-Hey Siri, Take a Note

00:03:48 Ian-QT-In Notes, Record Audio and Save the transcript natively! (Use the paper clip icon)

00:06:52 rnDoug-QT-1126-Zoom in CarPlay Maps with a special double-tap (and Peter, too)

00:10:32 Tom-1126-Hold down on URL Bar to close tab (and more) on iOS 26

00:11:13 Bill-QT-1126-Swipe Up on URL bar for All Tabs View on iPhone

00:12:53 Todd-QT-Camera Settings to Get Side Camera Button to do your bidding!

00:17:44 Bill-QT-1126-Rename files in Finder and from apps’ Toolbar

Sponsors

00:21:24 SPONSOR: Tempo. For a limited time, Tempo is offering our listeners SIXTY PERCENT OFF your first box! Go to TempoMeals.com/MGG.

00:22:52 SPONSOR: Gusto. Get three months free when you run your first payroll when you start at gusto.com/MGG

We Need To Talk

00:24:12 Craig-ChatGPT is too hasty to troubleshoot my tech issues

ChatGPT Absolute Mode

Hey, Did You Hear?

00:41:23 Apple acquires secretive Q․ai startup for $2 billion

00:45:40 New AirTags from Apple

Your Questions Answered and Tips Shared!

00:50:21 Rob-How can I copy one frame from a video?

yt-dlp (install with ‘brew install yt-dlp’)

PullTube and Downie (also available in Setapp)

What does NERF stand for when someone kills functionality

Newly Effectuated Reduced Functionality

01:03:04 Larry-How can I share my iCloud calendar with an Android user?

OneCalendar

Sync for iCloud

Cool Stuff Found

01:09:04 Adam-CSF-Apple Vision Pro Dual Knit Band

Demeo on Vision Pro

01:12:29 DLH-CSF-Anker Prime 25W 3-in-1 Travel charger

01:16:36 MGG 1127 Outtro

MGG Monthly Giveaway

Bandwidth Provided by CacheFly

MGG’s CES 2026 Sponsors

Pilot 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) Podcasts

MGG Merch is Available!

Mac Geek Gab YouTube Page

Mac Geek Gab Live Calendar

This Week’s MGG Premium Contributors

MGG Apple Podcasts Reviews

[email protected]

224-888-GEEK

Active MGG Sponsors and Coupon Codes List

BackBeat Media Podcast Network

You start with deceptively simple wins that immediately clean up your digital life. You batch-rename files in Finder, unlock hidden gestures on both Mac and iPhone, and speed yourself up with small but mighty keyboard and touch tricks. Along the way, a nostalgic detour into Lotus 1-2-3 sparks a surprisingly intense discussion about competitive spreadsheeting, airline safety systems, and how that thinking naturally leads to a bigger question: when does “Car as a Service” stop being a punchline and start being reality? Even the travel hacks stay practical, from surviving cruises without surprise data charges to resetting your internal clock before you even land.

Then you shift into defense mode. You learn where password chaos actually comes from, why panic-resetting devices is sometimes the worst move, and how to spot bugs masquerading as personal failure. Listener questions take you deep into Lightroom quirks, CarPlay gesture mysteries, app safety checks, and Contacts behaving badly, with calm, methodical ways to unweird your setup instead of burning it down. It’s classic Mac Geek Gab: curiosity, experimentation, and real-world fixes that keep your tech working for you. Stay sharp, stay efficient, and Don’t Get Caught.

00:00:00 Mac Geek Gab 1126 for Monday, January 26th, 2026

January 26th: Lotus 1-2-3 Day

MGG Monthly Giveaway – Enter to win a copy of Ecamm Live or Carbon Copy Cloner 7!

The MGG Merch Store is Live!

Quick Tips

00:00:01 Craig-QT-You can batch rename files in Finder

00:05:01 January 26th: Lotus 1-2-3 Day

00:06:40 Competitive Spreadsheeting

Full Contact Spreadsheeting

TCAS System in airplanes

Tangent: Car as a service

00:13:11 When can we move to Car As A Service?

MOAR Quick Tips

00:19:30 Steve-You can also three finger pinch on the Mac!

00:22:56 Todd-Pinch iPhone Screen in Safari to reveal the All Tabs display

00:24:16 Time hack: when flying across time zones, start your day on the time zone you will be ending on

00:25:11 Craig-QT-Use Fn to bring up the Mac emoji picker

00:27:48 Jim-QT-For cruisers, disable cellular data on the ship

Sponsors

00:30:35 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 Shopify.com/MGG

00:31:48 SPONSOR: Copilot Money. Your money, beautifully organized, now across every device. For a limited-time, get 26% off your first year when you sign up at https://try.copilot.money/macgeekgab. Get two months free with code ‘macgeekgab’.

00:33:12 SPONSOR: BBEdit, the power tool for text from Bare Bones Software; now with integrated Notebooks and extended language support.

Don’t Get Caught

00:34:24 Michael-DGC-Password Hell is a Real Place

Bitwarden

Access became Uplock

00:53:17 Larry-DGC-Known Bug in Apple Search in Settings – Don’t Nuke-n-Pave Your iPad just yet

Your Questions Answered and Tips Shared!

00:54:26 Bob-?-Why Lightroom + DropBox TidBits Article Won’t Let me Put Files in the Trash Bin?

01:00:18 DLH-Where is CarPlay Maps pinch to zoom?

Maybe in iOS 26

01:04:49 Eric-Is MacUpdater still safe for now?

01:06:17 Sandy-Contacts is being weird…how do I unweird it?

01:17:55 MGG 1126 Outtro

MGG Monthly Giveaway

Bandwidth Provided by CacheFly

MGG’s CES 2026 Sponsors

Pilot 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) Podcasts

MGG Merch is Available!

Mac Geek Gab YouTube Page

Mac Geek Gab Live Calendar

This Week’s MGG Premium Contributors

MGG Apple Podcasts Reviews

[email protected]

224-888-GEEK

Active MGG Sponsors and Coupon Codes List

BackBeat Media Podcast Network