Embracing Schrödinger's Desktop

Mac Geek Gab — Apple Tips, Tricks, and Troubleshooting

You’ll walk away from this episode armed with rapid‑fire Quick Tips that shave precious seconds off your day: shuffle your iOS wallpaper for fresh vibes automatically, sling “>>” in Notes to summon recent docs, and force‑sync iCloud Photos when lag strikes. Dial down cellular burnout with Low Data Mode—yes, Mint Mobile’s “unlimited” finally lives up to its name—and tap dual‑language keyboards to spell‑check like a polyglot. Kill those “Paste from Other Apps” nags, drag Finder’s sidebar sections exactly where you want them, at least until you have to embrace Schrödinger’s Desktop zen: Let Go, Let Apple.

Then you dive deeper. Teach your Apple TV Remote new gestures, diagnose that muffled HDMI‑ARC audio before it ruins movie night, and verify printer drivers so crummy pages don’t get you fired. Garmin tools favor macOS, but confirm app permissions so rogue software doesn’t hijack your devices—Thunderbird’s indexing quirks included. Add Touch ID to any Mac mini with a Magic Keyboard or BLEUnlock, tame a cramped 256 GB laptop with Hazel’s smart folders, and squeeze every drop from your ink cartridges with savvy resets and reliable third‑party refills. Don’t Get Caught without these hacks in your toolkit.

• 00:00:00 Mac Geek Gab 1086 for Monday, April 21st, 2025
  • April 21st: Big Word Day (also World Creativity and Innovation Day)
  • Police Code 10-86 – Officer on-duty
  • MGG Monthly Giveaway – Win a CleanMyMac Membership!
• Quick Tips
  • 00:00:01 QT-Changing iOS Wallpaper to “Shuffle” Photos
  • 00:03:22 Andrew-QT-Type >> in Notes to link to recent notes
  • 00:05:01 Ben-QT-Force Sync to iCloud Photos
  • 00:08:00 Low Data Mode in iOS Cellular
    • Mint Mobile unlimited is (now) truly unlimited?
  • 00:14:28 RG-QT-Use two-language keyboards to check spelling and get recommendations in multiple languages
  • 00:18:02 n-Lucas-QT-Eliminate “Paste from Other Apps” notifications on iPhone
  • 00:19:14 QT-MacOS Finder Expand, Collapse & Drag Sidebar Location Categories to Desired position
    • Let Go and Let Apple
    • LITFA
    • Schrödinger’s Desktop
  • 00:24:18 ChatGPT writes our sponsor scripts
  • 00:27:57 Dan DXZDB-QT-Teaching your Apple TV Remote new Tricks
  • 00:30:15 Pilot Pete-Using HDMI-ARC results in crappy sound occasionally…what is it?
• Don’t Get Caught
  • 00:34:47 KYEngineer-DGC-Make sure your printer drivers are correct
  • 00:37:42 Garmin’s software prefers Macs?
  • 00:39:40 Todd-DGC-Follow Up – Do Apps need Access to Devices?
  • 00:44:55 DGC-Thunderbird May Not Be Indexing Your Mail
• 00:51:12 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!
  • 00:52:55 Russell-How can I add touch ID to my Mac mini?
    • Magic Keyboard with Touch ID
    • BLEUnlock
  • 00:58:30 Gary-Efficient Way to Manage 256Gb Laptop Storage?
    • Hazel
  • 01:06:02 Gary-Should I reset the ink/toner cartridges that I have?
    • Michael DJ-1084-Use InkJetSuperstore.com for third-party ink and toner cartridges
    • Check Amazon.com for InkJet Cartridges
• Show Business
  • 01:10:10 MGG Review-rgAdg17 from the UK
  • 01:11:23 MGG Review-DudemanLA – 2025-04-10
• 01:12:15 MGG Premium Listener Contribution Appreciation Moment
• 01:17:18 MGG 1086 Outtro
  • MGG Monthly Giveaway – CleanMyMac
  • 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!
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  • MGG Apple Podcasts Reviews
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