Cool Stuff Found kicks off this week’s show, with email clients, Wi-Fi Widget(s), combo iPhone/Watch chargers, disk utilities and much, much more. Then, after a few additional tips from you, dear listeners, it’s time for your questions. Topics this week include comparing local vs. Cloud storage for things like your music, videos and documents; memory interleaving and when to use it; solving corrupt user accounts that won’t login; and solving the issues with web pages that are slow to load. Press play and enjoy!
Search: macOS 15
Safari Passwords, Shopping Lists, and Synology RT2600ac Router – Mac Geek Gab 642
Have a website with multiple passwords and Safari always chooses the wrong one? Want a shopping list app to manage as a family? Photos showing greyed-out people? That’s just how this week’s Mac Geek Gab starts, folks. Then it’s on to Dave’s review of the new Synology RT2600ac standalone router, plus some related router questions for good measure. That’s not where it ends, though, because there are more questions and tips answered in here, as well. You’ll just have to listen to find out everything. After all, you must learn at least four new things each week, right? We’re here to help you do just that!
Apple Joins Partnership on AI as a Founding Member
Apple’s commitment to the artificial intelligence community is even stronger now that it’s officially a founding member of the Partnership for AI. The organization was created to help shape the future of artificial intelligence technology in an open way.
Apple Releases Sierra 10.12.3 Update with Fixes for PDF, MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, Security, More
Apple shipped macOS Sierra 10.12.3 on Monday. The update includes some relatively minor bug fixes, an issue with Adobe Premiere Pro on MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, a PDF encryption fix, and more. The update also includes fixes for eight security flaws.
Just Discovered Fruitfly Malware Uses Pre-OS X Code
Malwarebytes discovered a Mac malware threat dubbed Fruitfly that’s being used to target biomedical research facilities. Calling Fruitfly new, however, may not be correct because it looks like it’s been around since at least 2014, and it also relies on some system calls that predate OS X and macOS.
NVIDIA's 'GeForce Now' Lets Mac Owners Rent a High-End Gaming PC in the Cloud
NVIDIA’s ‘GeForce Now’ service will let Mac and PC owners rent access to a high-end GTX-powered gaming PC in the cloud, with full access to Steam, Origin, and other gaming platforms.
Happy New Year from Your Two Favorite Geeks – Mac Geek Gab 638
Need to use Mini DisplayPort monitor with your USB-C Mac? Need to make screen recordings? Need a Dropbox replacement? Your two favorite geeks have you covered with these questions and others. Cool Stuff Found segment includes a way to control your reboot sounds, your clipboard, and your unwanted robocalls. Plus, another AirPods alternative. Download and enjoy!
My 3 Favorite iOS Apps From 2016
As 2016 comes to an end, it’s nice to look back and reflect upon the year. I’d like to share my three favorite apps that I’ve used this year, and why I liked them: Cryptomator, RNI Flashback, and Curiosity.
Christmas Morning with Your Two Favorite Geeks – Mac Geek Gab 637
Everyone got AirPods except you? No worries, Dave and John have you covered with some AirPods alternatives. Otherwise it’s listener questions dominate the show, as usual, with topics ranging from where to store your iTunes Media, network topology, replacements for Dropbox’s missing Public folder and much more. Download today and enjoy!
Apple Trying to Beef Up Battery Engineering Team
In the wake of ongoing complaints about battery performance and reporting on MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, Apple is looking to beef up its battery-engineering team. 9to5Mac noted the company just added two positions related to batteries, Battery Algorithm Analysis Engineer and System Power and Control Architect.
Apple's TV App Reveals its Plight with Television Industry
From time to time, we’ve seem articles that explain Apple’s plight with its TV business. But John has found a splendidly complete diagnosis at The Verge for this week’s focus. It examines the deepest motivations of Apple, it’s clash with the entertainment industry, its successes and failures, and how that has, in turn, affected Apple TV software design and customer perceptions.
![4 Apps for Seeing Your Mac’s Battery Time Remaining [Updated]](https://www.macobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/macos-battery-menu.webp)
4 Apps for Seeing Your Mac's Battery Time Remaining [Updated]
Apple took away the time remaining estimate from its Battery menu bar widget in macOS 10.12.2 presumably because it was inaccurate and confusing. That’s a problem because a lot of MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and MacBook users rely on the time estimate to get an idea of how long they can go before they have to find a power outlet. Even though Apple deemed the time remaining estimate unnecessary, other developers get that it’s an important feature. Read on to see some of TMO’s favorite battery monitoring apps.
Apple Brings Calendar Spam Invitation Filtering to iCloud
The ongoing problem of spam invitations in Apple’s Calendar app finally has a fix, at least on iCloud. Users can now report invitations as junk with the click of a button, but they need to log into Apple’s iCloud web interface, which limits the fix to desktop and laptop users for now.
Mail Tips & Solving Generic Dock Icons – Mac Geek Gab 634
Quick tips to start: copying mail (instead of moving it), editing your default Touch Bar, a new way to create pinned tabs in Safari, ejecting an external Blu-ray, and disabling notifications. After that it’s time to answer your questions about secure email, SSD upgrades, keychain errors, portable audio recording setups and much more. Press play and enjoy!
How about a Computer Keyboard or Trackpad Made of Wood?
I have no idea how practical these products are, but they’re gorgeous. Check out the Orée Board and Orée Touch Slab, a keyboard and trackpad made from wood. The Board is portable and can connect via USB or Bluetooth. It’s designed to work with macOS and iOS, or Windows and Android. Each is made from a single piece of wood, making individual units unique. The Touch Slab is a multitouch trackpad that can also be used as a numeric keypad. Look closely and you’ll see the keypad outlined on top. It’s Bluetooth only, and works with macOS, and Windows 7 or 8. The Board is priced at US$129, while Touch Slab is $150. I haven’t tested them, but they totally caught my eye.
Apple to Unleash a Fleet of Flying Drones to Improve Maps Data
Apple Maps has come a long way, but still trails Google in many areas. Apple is therefore preparing a fleet of flying drones to take to the skies in an effort to greatly increase the volume and accuracy of the company’s mapping data.
Stop Safari From Launching iTunes and the App Store With a Free Extension
When you visit an iTunes or App Store website link in Safari, those apps automatically launch. While this makes it easy to find and download content, many users don’t want apps popping up all over their Mac. Here’s a free Safari extension that can solve this problem.
![10 Black Friday Sales Apple Customers Might Have Missed [Update]](https://www.macobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/black-friday-sale-wide.webp)
10 Black Friday Sales Apple Customers Might Have Missed [Update]
Black Friday has some of the biggest sales in retail, but you can also find a lot of software on sale. I put together a list of nine Black Friday sales that will appeal to Apple customers that you might have otherwise missed, plus a reminder that Apple is doing a promo.
Apple's Intent Isn't the Same as Committing to Mac Automation
Last week Sal Soghoian announced his job as Apple’s Manager of Automation Technologies had been eliminated, and this week senior vice president of Software Engineering Craig Federighi says Apple intends to continue supporting scripting technologies on the Mac. That’s a little reassuring, although “intending to support” is a far cry from “committed to continue developing.”
Wi-Fi Mesh Systems Compared: eero, Orbi, AmpliFi
The future of home Wi-Fi is mesh networking, a new approach to consumer wireless networks that includes smart management and multiple radios designed to handle the load of today’s gadgets. If you’ve been fighting with range extenders and other solutions to broaden your Wi-Fi coverage and keep your streams alive, you can now stop all that silliness and blanket your home with Wi-Fi. The future is here, and that future is mesh networking.
Matias Wireless Aluminum Keyboard: The Apple Keyboard You've Been Looking For
John Kheit has been searching for a wireless keyboard with a numeric trackpad that he likes, and he’s finally found it, the Matias Wireless Aluminum Keyboard. He put it through its paces and fell in love. Check out his full review for more.
Apple Quietly Kills AirPort Extreme by Breaking Up Wireless Router Team
There’s a good chance the next time you buy a Wi-Fi router for you Mac, iPhone and iPad network it won’t come from Apple. The company reassigned the engineers from its wireless networking team to other projects and doesn’t have plans to continue developing its AirPort Extreme, AirPort Express, and Time Capsule products.
MGG 632: The Truth and Its Relatives
Your questions answered, including those about Sierra’s keyboard viewer, recommended OS and RAM configurations for older (and newer!) Macs, Stopping apps from launching on login, finding photos on your iPhone, Bluetooth interference and more. Then it’s Cool Stuff Found and some tips. How can you go wrong? By NOT downloading this episode.
Apple Cuts Mac Automation Manager Sal Soghoian
Sal Soghoian is the godfather of AppleScript and automation on the Mac, but not for much longer. He announced at MacTech Conference in Los Angeles on Wednesday that Apple is eliminating the Product Manager of Automation Technologies he’s held since 1997.