You ask, we answer! Tech support every week for over 12 years! First up this episode: Passwords, and lots of ’em. Then it’s on to managing Photos and app files on your iPhone. We revisit the topic of waking a sleeping laptop, and then discuss a few tips and tricks we’ll keep up our sleeves just for you. Download, press play, and enjoy!
John F. Braun
John F. Braun is a software and computer engineer with over 20 years of development experience, and has AS, BS and MS degrees in various computing disciplines, so his friends and colleagues are somewhat surprised that he?s a Mac enthusiast. Having worked in an environment comprised largely of PCs, and watching others wrestle with the horror that is Windows, he's glad to come home to a MacBook Pro and Mac mini at the end of the day.
Articles by John F. Braun
Three Geeks at Macstock 2017 – Mac Geek Gab 666
For episode 666 your two favorite geeks are joined (raided!) by Guy Serle and the episode becomes a mix of Mac Geek Gab and the MyMac podcast. Recorded live at Macstock 2017, Guy, Dave, and John talk through all sorts of things, including some stellar quick tips just for you. Download, press play, and enjoy!
Migrating Mail, Managing your Monitor, and More! – Mac Geek Gab 665
Lots of summer-related Cool Stuff Found here, including stuff for hearing your music while you’re out enjoying the outdoors. Don’t worry, southern-hemisphere friends, we’ve got plenty of stuff for you, too, including a new mesh wireless system to discuss. The Q&A portion of the show covers migrating mail, operating with the monitor off (desirably and not-so-much). All this and more. Press play and enjoy!
Puck Killed the Wi-Fi – Mac Geek Gab 664
Keyboard shortcuts, system-wide tools, reversing panorama mode, and putting the finishing touches on your system updates are the things you’ll learn about in just the first few minutes of this episode. From there it goes even deeper, including a great segment about managing your email on macOS and iOS. You won’t want to miss this one. Press play… and enjoy!
Oh...Snap! – Mac Geek Gab 663
Proper use of a catchall address, external MacBook and MacBook Pro batteries, granular controls on the volume slider, GPS in Airplane mode, and making an old trackball with with Sierra are just the way this show begins. Listen in for much, much more… and feel free to send your questions in, too!
Curios Aren’t Just for Breakfast Anymore – Mac Geek Gab 662
Alternative AirPlay Receivers, iMac Upgrades, Troubleshooting in Console, and AirPods controls are just the first four things your two favorite geeks discuss today. Then it’s on to solving the issue of stale Contacts on your iPhone, MailDrop woes, and the Preppers approach to backups. All this and more in this week’s Mac Geek Gab podcast. You’re guaranteed to learn at least four new things.
The Boys of Summer are Back in Town – Mac Geek Gab 661
Quick Tips to start (no hints!), and then it’s time for some new Mac advice, which is a fitting question to get on the heels of Apple’s WWDC 2017 announcements. Then it’s time to discuss backups, and how much you should worry (hint: a LOT… that’s the point of backing up!). Add in some Wi-Fi chaos and that’s the foundation of a good Mac Geek Gab episode.
iCloud Syncing is the Bane of my Existence – Mac Geek Gab 660
Ever have problems with iCloud syncing? Haha, of course you have. Dave Hamilton and John F. Braun, your two favorite geeks, have, too, so they help a few of you with your iCloud syncing problems and, in the process, dig into all the things they’ve learned about solving this problem over the years. But you know the rule: one must always learn at least four new things each and every episode, so there’s a lot more than this, folks. Download, listen, and enjoy!
Secure Document Syncing, Splitting Audio & More – Mac Geek Gab 659
Thunderbolt 3 Docks, Quick PrefPane Access, the best iOS PDF viewer, splitting audio files, and finding your lyrics. THAT’s what your two favorite geeks start with this week… and then they go from there! Press play and enjoy.
Fixing Album Art, Cracked iPads, and UPnP Dangers – Mac Geek Gab 658
Your geeks start with some tips: dealing with a bad key on your keyboard, restoring the proper album art after iCloud Music Library has done its part, and dealing with a damaged SD card. Then it’s on to some questions, like whether or not UPnP is dangerous for you or what to do when you hear your Mac’s fans running more frequently than you think is necessary. All this and more, just after you press play!
Guardians of the Geek Galaxy – Mac Geek Gab Podcast 657
Ever wondered how to share iCloud contact groups amongst family and team members? Ever have to mix iOS, Android, and macOS? Ever wonder what AppTranslocation folders are? How about the best thing to put in your walls before you close them up? John F. Braun and Dave Hamilton have your answers to all of this and more.
Follow The Dots...to Mac Geek Gab 656
Cool Stuff Found and Quick Tips in the same episode? You bet! John F. Braun and Dave Hamilton aim to deliver for you each and every week. And since the goal is to learn at least four new things each week, some options might include keeping your Mac awaken only when you like, managing Siri’s holidays when set for a foreign voice, yet another replacement for DeskConnect, and a segment one listener calls “follow the dots.” You’ll just have to listen to see what that is all about. Press play and enjoy, folks!
Is Your Wi-Fi Security Worth Its Salt? – Mac Geek Gab 655
Splitting the check, making your EarPods or AirPods fit better, and pen-based note-taking are just the Cool Stuff Found segment. Then your two favorite geeks talk you through fixing Wi-Fi connection issues on both your iPhone and your Mac, and also help you choose the right speed plan from your ISP. That’s not all, though, and you’ll hear much more when you press play (just do it!).
Never Check Your NSA Email Over an Insecure Connection – Mac Geek Gab 654
Quick Tips, Cool Stuff Found and LOTS of questions. Sleeping Mac? No problem. VIP Mail help? No problem. Building a home? No problem. Want to know about VPNs? Well, now… just kidding. No problem! Mac Geek Gab answers your questions and shares your tips so everyone can learn at least four new things each week!
NAS, MDM, DGC and Other Fun Initials – Mac Geek Gab 653
Sometimes you have to get geeky. No worries, Dave and John will talk you through understanding what NAS and MDM mean and why you might want to use them. Don’t worry, fellow geeks, there’s stuff in here for you, too. After all, that’s how Mac Geek Gab rolls! Listen, enjoy, learn, and prosper at the same time!
Physical Security Matters, Too – Mac Geek Gab 652
SMC Resets, Migration Assistant tricks, Auto-Upgrade solutions and Renting vs. Owning your Cable Modem are just the beginning for your two favorite geeks today. S/MIME is taken to a whole other level with guest Jeff Butts who helps us all understand how to make this work on both macOS and iOS! Then it’s time to dive into your system certificates – and which ones you can touch vs. those that you can’t. Security is always on the mind and a quick VPN discussion rounds that out. Then John and Dave move on to something more pleasing to the ear: sound, and how best to manage it on your Mac!
Four New Things You’ll Learn Today – Mac Geek Gab 651
Quick Tips about VPN, Sierra’s storage, Universal Clipboard, and Wi-Fi priority are just the start to the show. From there we talk about using Flash on your iPhone or iPad (it’s true!), portable VPN options, accessing a file server with iOS and much more. Download or just press play right here and enjoy. You’ll learn at least four new things, we guarantee it!
Are You Secure with Your Security? – Mac Geek Gab 650
Security is on the brain this week! Learn how to secure your iCloud account and also learn how to secure your entire home network from your ISP’s prying eyes! Dave and John also help you determine what devices and processes are using your network, and what the difference is between WPA2 Personal and Enterprise. All of this and more in this week’s Mac Geek Gab. Press play and enjoy!
Web Pages as Apps, Equipment Insurance, and Photos! – Mac Geek Gab 649
Have a webpage you use all the time? Why not make that its own, separate app? Need to create Symbolic Links (symlinks) but don’t want to use the Terminal? How about if you want to get an equipment warranty for that new Synology NAS you just bought? That’s just a sampling of the things you’ll learn in the first segment of this week’s episode. There’s more, folks. Lots more! Press play and enjoy!
More Mac Tips Than You Can Shake a Stick At – Mac Geek Gab 648
Manage your 3rd-party external “Retina” display, use custom icons for each mounted volume, use private browsing to keep your various Google accounts from conflicting, and move your Dock to make better use of your screen real estate. Folks, that’s just the tips section of this week’s episode. Listen for much, much more!
Emptying Stubborn Files from macOS Trash
Mac Geek Gab listener Michael needs help with a stubborn file he can’t delete from his macOS Trash. John F. Braun walks him through several options for dealing with recalcitrant files, including Terminal commands and utilities.
Overriding iCloud SSID Selection
Mac Geek Gab listener Nick asked how to override iCloud SSID selection on his network. John F. Braun explains how to do so, and how to automate it so you no longer have to do it by hand.
Hello, Sailor. Nothing Happens Here – Mac Geek Gab 647
Ever get the spinning beach ball at the top of your screen? John and Dave can help with that. After all, they come together each week to solve your Mac questions and problems. Other topics include selecting your sending address from Mail, controlling when iCloud Photos get sent to the cloud, deleting stubborn files, and more!
How do I choose a UPS? – Mac Geek Gab 646
Spring is almost here for the northern hemisphere, and that means it’s almost lightning season. It’s time to talk UPSs and battery backups. Listen as John and Dave talk through all the permutations you’ll need to know to choose the right UPS for your setup. On top of that, a few things in Cool Stuff Found, solving mailbox syncing problems, and a deep discussion about how to rip movies and then to get them onto your iPhone or iPad!