CarPlay Widgets, eSIM Swaps, Photo Preservation & AI Assisted Living

Mac Geek Gab — Apple Tips, Tricks, and Troubleshooting

You kick things off with a stack of Quick Tips that make your Apple gear feel smarter. From getting a free year of Perplexity Pro, to turning on CarPlay widgets in iOS 26, to using ChatGPT itself to search for Mac Geek Gab answers (like which dash cam Pilot Pete prefers), you’re reminded how powerful the tools you already have can be. You’ll also learn how Apple Maps saves your recent routes, how to grab a full-res screenshot from a video, and why buying an AirPrint-capable printer is always the move. The point: these bite-sized tweaks add up fast, and you don’t want to miss them. Don’t Get Caught overlooking the simple wins.

From there, you dive into Cool Stuff Found and listener Q&A that blend everyday utility with future-facing tech. MGG-listener vibe-coded StockTrackr helps you spot Apple Store inventory, GoodSync makes backups painless, and UGreen’s clever AirTag key accessories keep your essentials trackable. You also face the reality of e-waste, the looming Nest thermostat cutoff, and how AI is evolving from assisted coding to assisted living—crafting web pages, logic, and even graphics on command. Questions push you deeper: swapping eSIMs, nuking stubborn trash files, using Tailscale exit nodes for Netflix, and preserving family photos for generations. The thread through it all? Practical hacks that save your time, money, and sanity.

• 00:00:00 Mac Geek Gab 1108 for Wednesday, September 22nd, 2025
  • September 22nd: Hobbit Day
  • MGG Monthly Giveaway – UniFi Cloud Gateway Fiber and U7 Pro XG
  • The MGG Merch Store is Live!
• Quick Tips
  • 00:00:01 Shannon-QT-Get Perplexity Pro free for 1 year
  • 00:04:11 Terry-QT-iOS 26 Allows you to enable Widgets in CarPlay
  • 00:06:25 Todd-QT-Use ChatGPT to search for MGG answers
  • ChatGPT Prompt: on the Mac Geek Gab podcast what dash cam does pilot Pete like
  • 00:09:25 Joe from Raleigh-QT-Apple Maps saves your Recent Routes
  • 00:11:10 Dave-QT-Grab a full-res screenshot from a video with QuickTime Player
  • 00:13:20 Pilot Pete-QT-1090-Create a Focus Mode “On a Call” details
  • 00:16:26 DataForNothinAndBitsForFree-QT-1105-Always buy an AirPrint-capable printer
• Sponsors
  • 00:17:36 SPONSOR: Mint Mobile. Cut your wireless bill to just $15 per month at MintMobile.com/MGG
  • 00:19:15 SPONSOR: OWC’s Express 1M2 80G SSD is now shipping. Bus powered, pocket-sized, with a USB4 cable in the box.
• Cool Stuff Found
  • 00:20:25 Barry-CSM-StockTrackr for Apple Stores
    • It’s AI Assisted Coding…and AI Assisted Living!
  • Some AI prompts
    • “Can you provide more context to this?”
    • “Please explain this piece of code to me.”
    • “Are there any third-rails to be aware of before partnering with this brand?”
    • “Create me a webpage…with logic AND graphics.”
  • 00:29:32 David-CSF-GoodSync is working very well for me
  • 00:31:35 Andrew-CSF-UGreen AirTag Key with keyring and wallet card
  • 00:34:05 e-Waste is an unfortunate reality
    • Nest 1st and 2nd gen Thermostats Go Offline on October 25th, 2025
    • Ember Charger
  • 00:35:28 Tom-CSF-1106-DoubleTake – App for multicam video on your iPhone
• Sponsors
  • 00:37:26 SPONSOR: Gusto. Get three months free when you run your first payroll when you start at gusto.com/MGG
  • 00:38:55 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!
  • 00:40:12 Steve-How can I quickly swap eSIMs between two iPhones?
    • Apple supports eSIM Quick Transfer with selected carriers
  • 00:45:44 Father John-How do I erase things that are stuck in my trash?
    • Use lsof and filtering by those files to see if you can identify the process holding on to those files
    • Recovery Terminal on macOS
  • 00:50:36 Joe-How do I use TailScale’s Exit Nodes to make Netflix think I’m at home?
  • 00:58:07 Amazon Prime free shipping limited to your home address
  • 01:03:35 James-How can we preserve our photos for future generations?
    • What about all my photos on my Zip disks?
    • How to Add Legacy Contact for your Apple Account
    • A thought: Make physical copies of the important ones
    • Shutterstock Photo Book
    • Quick Tip: Favoriting your actual favorites, then create a smart album and organize your favorites (by year, by location, etc)
• 01:16:47 MGG 1108 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