This week’s Mac Geek Gab kicks off with quick tips you’ll actually use: from setting custom backgrounds in iOS 26 Messages to automating iPhone restarts with Shortcuts, spotting hidden savings on AppleTV+, and even using freezer bags to tame cable chaos. You’ll also learn the power of politeness, how Adaptive Power Mode can stretch your battery, why Spotlight Cmd-1 is your new macOS shortcut, and how to scroll CarPlay garages with a simple swipe. The crew dives into running Apple betas—developer vs. public—and the gotcha lurking in Apple’s (relatively) new cloud sync rules. Don’t Get Caught moving your home folder or syncing Dropbox without knowing the risks.

Then it’s all about gear and listener wisdom. Discover stress-relief spirals and right-angle cables that save your chargers, a sleeper hold travel pillow that kills the head-bobble, and eero’s signal upgrades coming in 2026. Adam shares how his Jackery solar generator kept him connected, plus the team breaks down backup internet options. Questions cover the smart way to prep your iPhone before trade-in, managing iMessage when moving to Android, and choosing a mesh system that won’t break the bank. From tri-band Deco deals to stubborn deleted files, you’ll walk away with practical fixes and clever finds ready to put to use today.

You dive right into the Apple event fallout with Pilot Pete, Adam, and Dave weighing their wish lists against reality. The iPhone 17 shines with its blistering 3000-nit display, always-on ProMotion, liquid-cooling in the Pro models, and a storage bump to 256GB minimum. The real curveball? The iPhone Air. Sleek, light, and maybe a proof-of-concept for what comes next, it’s got you asking if this is Apple’s new MacBook Air moment. Should you upgrade from your 16 Pro? The geeks debate it all while reminding you: Don’t Get Caught without considering who Apple is really building these devices for.

You also get the lowdown on AppleOS 26 releases. The crew breaks down when to hit update on iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS, with practical advice on what to install day one and what to hold back, especially if you rely on finicky menu bar apps. Then it’s AirPods Pro 3 with better fit, bass, and active earplug performance, Apple Watch 11 and Ultra 3 with expanded always-on features, and a sneak peek at what Apple didn’t announce: Macs, displays, maybe even a revamped Apple TV. The conversation closes with the big reveal: who’s ordering what and who’s sitting this one out.

This isn’t your regular Mac Geek Gab Monday drop. With Apple’s “Awe Dropping” iPhone event happening on September 9th, we’re shifting our schedule. The next full episode comes your way Wednesday, September 10th. Until then, here’s a quick update so you Don’t Get Caught wondering where your three favorite geeks are.

This week’s Mac Geek Gab is packed with quick tips and clever workarounds you can actually use. You’ll learn how to silence your partner’s alarm with Siri, calm down watchOS 26’s Liquid Glass by reducing transparency, and keep your AirPods secure with Croakies or a magnetic strap. You’ll even pick up tricks like delaying Low Power Mode automation, grabbing CarPlay screen captures, and—yes—using your nose to turn off your Apple Watch alarm. Along the way, the crew reminds you: don’t get caught making common mistakes like letting Wi-Fi calling charges sneak up on you or letting toxic content hijack your online focus.

From cool gear like LG’s Ultrafine 4K monitor to smart app swaps like Notion over Notes, you’ll discover fresh tools to boost productivity. Listener questions spark sharp advice, too—whether it’s saving corrupted data volumes, choosing the right budget Mac mini, or bringing an old scanner back to life. And as Apple Intelligence hype builds, the takeaway is clear: we’re not there yet. Stay sharp, stay curious, and don’t get caught missing the hacks that make your tech work smarter for you.

Learn how to use hyphens for strike-through in Messages, schedule a Mac restart, and even tell Siri or Alexa to run one-time automations. Master plus-addressing in iCloud Mail for cleaner inboxes and privacy with Hide My Email, and keep Safari’s tab bar neat by ditching Favorite Icons. And of course, Don’t Forget TOTO—Turn it Off, Turn it On again—to solve more problems than you think. Don’t Get Caught missing these fixes, including ways to recover from a too-dim iPhone screen or undo accidental changes in Notes.

Then it’s a flood of Cool Stuff Found: from an AI-built Coffee Finder app to the Scosche PBJ2000 jump starter, US Mobile’s pick-your-network option, and ViewSonic’s 27” 5K Thunderbolt display. Discover tools like vFlat for clean scans, WATTBOX for remote gear reboots, and GL-iNET’s Brume VPN appliance. Add in Braxley Bands for Apple Watch, EVapo-Rust for metal cleanup, and Treedix’s USB Cable Tester, and you’ve got an arsenal of gear to make your life easier. This episode is packed with shortcuts, hidden features, and gadgets you didn’t know you needed. Press play and enjoy, folks!

This week’s Mac Geek Gab with Pilot Pete, Adam Christianson, and Dave Hamilton packs in quick tips, clever hacks, and gear finds to level up your Apple life. You’ll learn how to instantly turn screenshots into PDFs, scan docs like a pro, and understand why most Macs can’t handle 20Gbps USB. Get smarter about CarPlay cables, unlock better wireless GPS performance, and discover menu bar magic with tools like uBar, Sketchybar, and Looking Glass. Don’t Get Caught missing the debates over Apple Music vs. Spotify—plus which one wins for playlists and which takes the crown for audio quality.

When it comes to troubleshooting, you’ll see how to fix blank Mail previews, keep your number abroad for iMessage, and squeeze the most out of budget carriers. Round it out with negotiation strategies to lower your mobile and ISP bills, plus Wi-Fi service order tweaks and DHCP reservation tips to keep your Mac running smooth.

Mirrors killing your Wi-Fi? You’re not imagining it. This week on Mac Geek Gab 1102, you’ll learn how metal surfaces sabotage your signal…and what to do about it. From smarter ways to manage your Apple Watch unlocks (hint: avoid accidental calls) to clearing your iPhone’s keyboard dictionary without going full nuclear, the Quick Tips are flying fast. Want your Dock to behave on multi-monitor setups? There’s an AppleScript for that.

Don’t Get Caught thinking “Until Tomorrow” actually means tomorrow…battery limits may surprise you. And if AirPlay is acting up, you might be powering off your speaker in the wrong order. Plus, you’ll discover data-blocking USB-C gadgets, secret vaults for your passwords, and whether SMB is a safe bet now that Time Machine is ditching AFP. All that, and more listener questions answered with your three favorite geeks leading the charge.

You’ll pick up quick wins this week with smart Mac tips you can use right now. Color-code your USB and Thunderbolt cables so you always grab the right one, and stash them in mesh zipper pouches or a travel organizer so you’re never digging for the right connection. Add Apple Music playlists right to your Mac’s menu bar, trigger Time Machine backups with macOS 26 Shortcuts, and even have ChatGPT read answers aloud to you. Learn how to suss out the speed of your USB-C cables, avoid accidental calls, and know when a higher‑wattage charger is perfectly safe. And remember: when moving from Intel to Apple Silicon, migrate your Homebrew setup properly—Don’t Get Caught re‑installing from scratch.

From troubleshooting with AI without “leading the witness” to discovering that High Sierra is still getting (at least some!) security updates, you’ll walk away sharper than before. We dig into Cool Stuff Found like Dory, a frictionless Mac app switcher, and VueScan, which resurrects old, unsupported scanners. Clean up your cloud clutter, auto‑paste from Messages into any app, and explore apps like Dialed AI to keep your motivation up. Whether you’re traveling, upgrading, or just tidying your digital life, these tips keep you efficient, organized, and ready for anything.

You’re diving into Mac Geek Gab 1100, where quick tips flow faster than USB-C power. Learn how dragging files into a blank Finder space automatically creates folders, and why AppleCare One’s $20/month plan might be worth a look. You’ll get hacks for AirPods Pro as earplugs, scanning docs to a thumb drive, and managing your Mac’s noisy notification overload. Curious about how to bulk scan like a pro or fix TestFlight Apple ID merge issues? Adam, Pete, and Dave have you covered.

Things get deeper with listener questions—from phantom iMac reboots to the clever use of dry-erase markers when fixing hardware. You’ll also get practical ways to manage family passwords and discover why teaching someone to fish (figuratively, of course, though fish can be yummy, too!) beats fixing their tech woes every time. Cool Stuff Found includes compression tools, trackable flashlights, and ChromeOS Flex as a Mac revival trick. Don’t Get Caught missing this one—it’s packed with geeky gold.

Recorded LIVE at Macstock 2025, this episode of Mac Geek Gab is a true “Stump The Geeks” showdown! With zero prep and a crowd full of curveballs, Dave, Pete, and Adam tackled real-time questions and Quick Tips on the fly. You’ll hear how to enable iPhone Mirroring for Mac notifications, rescue iMessages, and stabilize that wandering Dock. From Drobo debates and Apple Maps silence to VPNs with Tailscale and quirky Apple TV issues—this is geek troubleshooting in its rawest form.

Desktop icons shifting, login cert errors, Siri forgetting your name—nothing was off-limits. The crowd kept the trio on their toes with Mac mysteries and clever hacks, like Doc Rock’s red/green card video editing trick. You’ll even find out what wine your favorite geeks prefer. Whether it’s legacy Macs, lost phonetics, or wild goose chases through Apple’s system status, this one’s packed with fast answers and deep dives. Don’t Get Caught unprepared—this episode is live, unscripted, and all in.