Mac Geek Gab — Apple Tips, Tricks, and Troubleshooting

You Have Our Permission

Nov 13, 2023

In this week's Mac Geek Gab, Pete and Dave share savvy Quick Tips for iPhone Messages and accessing special characters on a Mac. They discuss nuke-and-pave for Apple Silicon Macs, troubleshoot AlDente for optimal battery life, and unravel Thunderbolt 4 cable complexities. The hosts explore gift-giving with ChatGPT, compare Roborock versus Neato robot vacuums, and highlight OWC's drive speed magic for iPhones.

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Introduction

00:00 • 2min

Accessing the Keyboard Viewer on a Mac

02:22 • 7min

Finding Thoughtful Gifts

09:36 • 14min

Keyboard Shortcut Workflow, Finding Qualified Candidates, and Powerful Text Editing with BB Edit

23:12 • 4min

Wiping and Installing a Fresh OS on a Mac

27:11 • 8min

Battery Optimization App and Its Impact on Apple Devices

35:40 • 15min

Customizing Standby Mode

50:26 • 21min

Testing Connection Speeds and Drive Performance

01:11:33 • 6min

Permission for Negative Feedback and Sponsor Acknowledgment

01:17:29 • 2min

You Have Our Permission — Mac Geek Gab 1009 episode image

This week on Mac Geek Gab, Pilot Pete and Dave Hamilton dive deep into the nitty-gritty of your Apple products starting with some savvy Quick Tips. Discover how a simple left-to-right tug in iPhone Messages can revolutionize your reply game, and get the low-down on summoning the Keyboard Viewer for those elusive special characters. Tired of cluttered docks? Learn how to minimize windows straight to the app icon. Embrace your inner tech-hero by mastering thoughtful gift-giving with the help of ChatGPT, and remember, integrating Quick Tips into your daily routine is a surefire way to streamline your digital life – “Don’t Get Caught” unprepared!

The conversation heats up as listeners get the scoop on nuke-and-pave for Apple Silicon Macs, troubleshoot AlDente for optimal battery life, and parse out Apple’s Thunderbolt 4 cable complexities. Customize your StandBy mode with Paul’s queries, and navigate the crowded landscape of robot vacuums with insights on Roborock versus Neato units. Fernando seeks a magic spell to disable Command-H and avoid app-hiding mishaps. In Cool Stuff Found, the focus shifts to OWC’s drive speed magic for iPhones, BlackMagic’s disk speed sanity checks, and Robster’s shoutout to OpenSpeedTest’s self-hosted solutions for keeping your network swift. Stay ahead of the curve with these gems, and never get left in the digital dust.

Chapters/Timestamps/Stuff mentioned:

00:00:00 Mac Geek Gab 1009 for Monday, November 13th, 2023
- The MGG Discord Server is Live!
- The MGG Merch Store is Live!
Quick Tips
- 00:00:01 JG-QT-Tug Left-to-Right in iPhone Messages to Start a Reply
- 00:03:21 Neal-QT-Show Keyboard Viewer to Quickly Type Special Characters
- 00:06:59 Rod L-QT-Minimize Windows to App Icon instead of Dock
- 00:09:31 QT-Be a hero this year! Ask ChatGPT to help you come up with thoughtful gifts – have it ask you questions!
- 00:15:43 Enable Settings > Accessibility > Personal Voice
- 00:20:36 J.F.-QT-How Does a QT become part of your workflow – and a “Help” Menu Quick Tip
Sponsors
- 00:23:22 SPONSOR: LinkedIn Jobs. Go to LinkedIn.com/MGG and post your first job for free!
- 00:25:17 SPONSOR: BBEdit, the power tool for text from Bare Bones Software; now with integrated Notebooks and extended language support.
Your Questions Answered and Tips Shared!
- 00:27:10 Rand-Can I Nuke-And-Pave my Apple Silicon Mac?
- 00:35:39 Ronald-Problems with AlDente & Battery Life
- 00:43:47 Ben-Apple’s Over-Engineered Thunderbolt 4 Cable
- 00:50:48 Paul-How do I customize StandBy Mode?
- 00:58:43 Ari-Which Robot Vacuum Is Best?
  - Roborock
  - Neato D10
- 01:06:17 Fernando-How can I disable Command-H to keep from accidentally hiding my apps?
Show Business
- 01:09:40 MGG Premium Listener Thanks
Cool Stuff Found
- 01:10:44 SteveHammond-CSF-OWC Drive Speed for iPhone
- 01:12:04 CSF-BlackMagic Disk Speed Test makes it easy to check speeds of disks and cables
- 01:14:17 Robster-CSF-OpenSpeedTest Self-hosted Speed Test
01:17:52 Mac Geek Gab 1009 Outtro
- Bandwidth Provided by CacheFly
- Follow us on Mastodon
- Pilot Pete’s Aviation Podcast: So There I Was (for Aviation Enthusiasts)
- 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
- feedback@macgeekgab.com
- 224-888-GEEK
- The Mac Geek Gab iPhone app
- Active MGG Sponsors and Coupon Codes List
- BackBeat Media Podcast Network