I am not one of the cool kids who can instantly come up with the right animated GIF right in the flow of a rapid conversation in services like Discord, but I want to be. I watch people like Mike Price and Jill from the Northwoods throwing in the right GIF at just the right […]
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When macOS Firmware Goes Bad
Like all good nerds, I’ve trained my friends and family to apply operating system updates as soon as they get the notification. Most people actually take my advice, so that’s neat. But this week, a system update caused a problem I’d never seen before. Teri is my daughter Lindsay’s mother-in-law, also known as my co-grandmother. […]
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Apple Health is Worried About Me
As you probably know, I enjoy walking long distances for exercise. One of the reasons I like having a dog is so I have company on these long walks. I’ve been wearing an Apple Watch since 2015, and I love looking at the metrics for how far I walk, how fast I walk, how much […]
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CES 2026: Satechi’s New Product Arrivals
Allison interviews Manny Garcia from Satechi about their new accessories, starting with the EX1 and EX3 Slim Wireless Keyboards and a matching mouse. Both keyboards are cross‑platform with a toggle for macOS/Windows, priced at $49.99 (EX1) and $69.99 (EX3), while the multi‑device mouse is sold separately. Manny highlights the mouse’s built‑in USB‑C receiver, removable rechargeable […]
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Security Bits — 10 May 2026
Feedback & Followups Listener and community feedback, developments in recently covered stories, and developments in long-running stories we’re tracking over time. Age Verification Developments: 🇺🇸 Apple have expanded their Digital ID technology to provide anonymous age verification in the US — www.macobserver.com/… “A Digital ID in Apple Wallet created using a U.S. passport can be […]
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Tiny Mac Tips Part 11
Jump to Tips Get Info vs. Show Inspector Smart Searches, aka Smart Folders Fun with Tabs Embiggen Text Windows in Web Forms in Safari Terminal to See a Calendar I’m back with Part 11 of Tiny Mac Tips. This is an ongoing series I started in order to teach Jill from the Northwoods how to […]
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CES 2026: XiViX Dentist-Supervised Robotic Tooth Preparation
Allison interviews Pierre Chelala, Founder and CEO of XiViX, about their robotic dentistry system designed to complete procedures like dental crowns in a single visit. The approach combines 3D scanning and CBCT imaging with AI planning to guide a robot that prepares the tooth under a dentist’s supervision. Because the crown is pre-manufactured, the robot […]
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CES 2026: Whisper Aero Tone T1 Quiet Leaf Blower
Allison interviews Andrew Terajewicz from Whisper Aero about their electric leaf blower that operates with much less noise than conventional gas or electric-powered leaf blowers. Andrew describes how Whisper Aero adapted ultra-quiet propulsion technology from aerospace applications to consumer products like leaf blowers. The goal is to reduce noise pollution and improve health outcomes for […]
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Equinox Wallpaper Generator
Free Equinoxin the Mac App Store Greetings NosillaCastaways. It’s Allister here with a review of an app you didn’t know you needed. You know how macOS has Dynamic Wallpapers? Maybe you forgot. When macOS Mojave was released in 2018, the default wallpaper was a photo of a dune but, unlike traditional wallpapers, it changed tone […]
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Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Get Info
Most of you probably know that if you want to know more about a file in macOS, you can select the file and from the menu bar select File → Get Info. If you’re a keyboard shortcut person, ⌘I opens the Get Info window. Well, actually, ⌘I opens Get Info whether you’re a keyboard junkie […]
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