Hi, this is Allison Sheridan of the NosillaCast Apple Podcast, hosted at Podfeet.com, a technology geek podcast with an EVER so slight Apple bias. Today is Tuesday, August 27, 2019, and this is show number 746. Thank you so much for waiting for Steve and me to get back from visiting my family in Michigan.
Chit Chat Across the Pond
We don’t have a Chit Chat Across the Pond this week, but Bart Busschots will be back this coming weekend for a non-Programming by Stealth episode. A listener asked him to explain DNS over HTTPS, also known as DoH. Sounds like something Homer Simpson would say to me, but that’s why I’m not going to be the one explaining it to you.
Blog Posts
Why Some CarPlay Isn’t Wireless – by Brad from LA
Maybe if I Had a Keyboard for My iPad mini I’d Use it More
After I posted this article I got three interesting responses.
In our Slack group Allister said that the fact that the iPad mini doesn’t have a keyboard is actually an advantage to him, and Bart agreed. I of course had to start arguing with them about this.
We engaged in some interesting conversations about how not having a keyboard would be an advantage. I do not pretend to see their point of view, even after we went back and forth six or seven times, but it was fun to learn about the different use cases they had and their different perspectives.
If you want to read the discussion, I highly recommend you join our Slack group at podfeet.com/slack.
I also got a great letter from Stephen Ramirez, a gentleman I met at Macstock. He didn’t know about the article I’d just written explaining I was no longer using the iPad mini. When he saw me at Macstock, I had my iPad mini in that awful Arteck keyboard case. Here’s what he wrote:
I want to thank you for something you did at the MacStock 2019 Conference and you are not even aware of it.
After the Video presentation, I approached the stage to ask a question and I noticed you sitting with a iPad mini in your hand. I tell you the saying that “Apple makes products that people don’t know they need”, is so true. I know you must have a MacBook, probably an iPad, iPhone and Watch but I asked myself ‘Why a Mini?
I thought about this for a month, contemplated what it would feel like using a Mini 7.9” in conjunction with my 12.9” iPad and iPhone XS Max 5.6”? Well I now get it. Hard to explain but it works, fills a niche and makes sense. What a fun, cool and nifty tablet. It sounds crazy but a different size for a different moment and use.
How fun is that? After I showed him my article, he gave me one more tidbit I thought was interesting to this discussion:
When I bought 12.9” I also bought the keyboard. Returned it 2 days later, realized I’m not a keyboard user on a tablet.
So we now have the full gamut of users all with the same types of devices and all with different opinions. I love this kind of dialog because it helps me realize that when someone asks us what they should buy, we should always try to figure out what the other person wants to do and how they like to work and play with a device before answering. Our gut reaction to just give our own opinion and that could be the exact opposite of what they need to hear.
How to Fix a Slow Mac mini in an Unusual Way by Troy Shimkus
Tiny Tip – Organize System Preferences for Findability – by Sandy Foster
My mind has been completely blown by this tip! How long has it been possible to alphabetize System Preferences? I’m guessing a long time. Sometimes using a tool for a hundred years is a disadvantage because you assume you know everything about it.
After posting this Tiny Tip to our Slack group (podfeet.com/slack), @LButlr (aka Lewis) mentioned hiding items in System Preferences. Turns out if you go to the same View menu for System Preferences, you have the option to Customize. This reveals all of your Preference Pane options with little check marks next to them. Uncheck an item and it will be hidden from view. My mind is blown a second time! Thanks Sandy and Lewis; you can teach an old dog new tricks!
Support the Show
I have two pledge break stories to tell you and they’re both about Patreon. Ryan Winkler is this week’s hero for becoming a patron of the Podfeet Podcasts. He went to podfeet.com/patreon and chose a dollar amount to contribute each week and for that I thank him profusely.
The other story is about a patron who decided it was no longer the right method for him. He asked me to give him my PayPal address so he could contribute that way instead. That’s what I love about all of this, you get to choose which way is best for you and your family, and that includes not contributing at all if you can’t afford it or if you don’t find enough value in the content we provide.
I do want to give a specific shout out to the former patron – you left Patreon before I read your message, and I don’t have a way to contact you now to tell you how to do PayPal – send me an email at [email protected], ok?
Security Bits – 27 August 2019
That’s going to wind this up for this week. Don’t forget to send in your Dumb Questions, comments and suggestions by emailing me at [email protected], follow me on twitter @podfeet. Remember, everything good starts with podfeet.com/. podfeet.com/patreon, podfeet.com/facebook, podfeet.com/slack! And if you want to join in the fun of the live show, head on over to podfeet.com/live on Sunday nights at 5pm Pacific Time and join the friendly and enthusiastic NosillaCastaways. Thanks for listening, and stay subscribed.
Where’s the web Podcast player for this episode? (NC #746)
Oops! Sorry about that, Martin! It’s sorted now. I was really off my game last night with no live audience to watch me.