What to Use for an External Drive Format

Pete and Dave admit they couldn’t resist ordering new iPhones—though Adam stayed strong—but the catch is they haven’t even received them yet. That doesn’t stop the crew from diving into the best ways to buy and sell your old gear, plus a slew of Quick Tips you’ll actually use. From setting your default calling app to snagging Amazon’s free photo storage, updating contact images in seconds, and taking smaller HEIC screenshots, you’ll come away sharper than ever. They even explain why sticking with developer betas can sometimes be more stable than waiting on the public release. Don’t Get Caught missing these shortcuts.

You’ll also learn how to dodge surprise roaming charges after a Canada trip, fix stubborn RCS issues with one iCloud toggle, and disable carrier locks before upgrading. Listener questions bring even more depth, like whether APFS is worth it on spinning drives, how to troubleshoot iCloud sync quirks, and why Apple’s “Clear” case isn’t so clear. Sprinkle in Apple Intelligence tricks, AI-powered cocktail recipes, and smart audio bug warnings in macOS Tahoe, and you’ve got an episode stacked with must-know Apple wisdom.

• 00:00:00 Mac Geek Gab 1109 for Wednesday, September 29th, 2025
  • September 29th: National Biscotti Day
  • MGG Monthly Giveaway – UniFi Cloud Gateway Fiber and U7 Pro XG
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• 00:03:23 We’re liars…well, at least two of us are. Pete and Dave bought iPhones
  • Gazelle.com
  • Swappa.com
  • eBay.com
  • Facebook Marketplace
• Quick Tips
  • 00:00:01 QT-Settings > Apps > Phone for Default Calling App, Spam handling, more
  • 00:15:47 QT-Don’t reset the iPhone until money is in-hand
• Sponsors
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  • 00:20:18 Pete uses the Insta360 Link 2c…and Alpaca wool is the most fantastic clothing
• MOAR Quick Tips
  • 00:21:15 JoeM-QT-iOS 26 Preview App is Feature Rich!
  • 00:23:27 Terry-QT-ChatGPT CarPlay widget requires phone face up
  • 00:26:07 QT-System Settings – Apple Intelligence & Siri – ChatGPT Extension – Sign In if you like
  • 00:27:30 JK Dawson-QT-Amazon Prime members get unlimited photo storage
  • 00:29:34 Uncle Jamie-Quickly Update Logo / Image in Contacts
    • Yoink is great for moving files from app to app
    • The Apple Newton had a great copy/paste user interface
  • 00:33:44 Use Expose to drag and drop to a new window
  • 00:34:41 Alex-QT-Take screenshots in HEIC format on macOS
    • defaults write com.apple.screencapture type heic; killall SystemUIServer
  • 00:38:05 Connection Troubles!
  • 00:40:24 CSF-OnyX 4.9.x for macOS 26 is out
    • Beware that HEIC might not be supported by everyone to whom you send screenshots
  • 00:42:08 Is it more stable to stay on the Developer Betas for a couple of months?
    • You get bug fixes faster!
• Sponsors
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• Don’t Get Caught
  • 00:48:26 QT-Disable Data Roaming when you return from Canada (especially if you’re on Mint Mobile or another prepaid plan)
  • 00:51:58 Pensacola Craig-QT-Disable Carrier SIM Lock before upgrading
  • 00:52:55 QT-If you Mac can’t send RCS with macOS 26, toggle “Enable Messages in iCloud” off and on.
• Unstick The Stuck Bit
  • 00:54:56 DGC-macOS 26 (Tahoe) has significant audio-related bugs
  • 00:57:20 Joe-DGC-Beware Apple’s “Clear” Case isn’t so clear
    • It’s a Clear Case of Lying!
  • 00:59:29 Mark-iCloud Files were found in iCloud Drive (Archive) folder
  • 01:03:37 Jessica-DGC-1108-The episode was late to Apple Podcasts…and it’s Dave’s fault!
• Your Questions Answered and Tips Shared!
  • 01:05:40 Louis from Montreal–Is APFS good these days or something else for external drives?
    • APFS speeds on Rotational Drives
• 01:09:27 Bill-1107-How to troubleshoot file syncing issues?
• 01:13:47 JK Dawson-1108-Using AI for Recipes
  • Cocktail recipes with ChatGPT: Take a picture of what’s in your bar and let IT decide!
• 01:16:20 DJ Mac-1108-More AI for Recipes
• 01:17:43 ChatGPT: Make us a travel itinerary in the city we’re visiting
• 01:21:31 MGG 1109 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
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