macOS 15.4 Fixes, Smart Home Discounts, & AirPods Battery Tips

Mac Geek Gab — Apple Tips, Tricks, and Troubleshooting

You picked the right episode to level up your tech game. This week on Mac Geek Gab, you’ll pick up smart Quick Tips like telling your homeowners’ insurance about your smart devices for potential savings, using UK plugs on US airplanes for reliable power, and mastering note navigation on macOS with Command-Return. You’ll even learn how to trigger gestures with your voice and why bringing an Apple TV on vacation might just change your life. Thinking about a new MacBook Air? Dave Hamilton, Pilot Pete, and Adam Christianson dig into performance insights, memory needs, and options like Luna Display for second screens. Always plan ahead—Don’t Get Caught without the right tools.

Troubleshooting? We’ve got you. Fix grayed-out Mail send buttons, navigate quirks from macOS 15.4 updates, and avoid wasting money on third-party toner. Get pro tips on black-and-white printing, keeping MakeMKV functional, and how to protect your color ink. The gang also tackles questions like whether your browser really needs LAN access, optimizing AirPods battery settings, and improving iPhone-scan photo quality. Wrap it all up with killer Cool Stuff Found like the INIU Qi2 charger and Lutron Caseta shades. Stay tuned, stay geeky, and stay safe out there.

• 00:00:00 Mac Geek Gab 1084 for Monday, April 7th, 2025
  • April 7th: Metric System Day
  • Police Code 10-84 – Advise ETA – In Metric Form Today!
  • MGG Monthly Giveaway – Win a CleanMyMac Membership!
  • Swatch Internet Time
  • The MGG Merch Store is Live!
• Quick Tips
  • 00:00:01 Lisa-QT-Tell your homeowners’ insurance company about your smart home devices
  • 00:04:51 Dan-QT-Use UK Plugs on airplanes to avoid power socket fallout
  • 00:09:27 Ben-QT-Notes: Change focus between list and editor
    • Command+Return
    • Command+Option+F
  • 00:12:54 Andrew-QT-Create gestures that you can trigger with your voice
  • 00:15:21 Ian-QT (and thanks) for bringing an Apple TV on vacation
  • 00:17:22 Mike-QT-Get plenty of memory with your M4 MacBook
  • 00:19:50 John-Considering options for a new MacBook Air
    • Dave’s Discord Thread about CPU Usage
    • Target Display Mode
    • Luna Display
• 00:35:56 SPONSOR: ScreenCastsONLINE. Each week, ScreenCastsONLINE publishes two Apple-related videos to its ever-expanding library of over 1,400 tutorials. Visit ScreenCastsONLINE/mgg to try it FREE for 7 DAYS, then get a lifetime 20% discount on your subscription.
• Don’t Get Caught
  • 00:37:51 Allan-DGC-Mail Send Button turns Gray and Won’t Send
  • 00:39:54 Dominic-DGC-1083-macOS 15.4 (temporarily) breaks MakeMKV
    • MakeMKV Downloads
  • 00:42:19 Larry-DGC-Check ACTUAL toner (and ink) levels before changing cartridges.
    • QT-When printing black-and-white on a color printer, set your print driver to black-and-white (to save your color cartridges)
    • QT-Beware third-party toner
• Your Questions Answered and Tips Shared!
  • 00:50:13 Does my browser need access to devices on my local network?
    • Amnesia to prevent (some) macOS 15’s monthly notifications
  • 00:57:51 Give LLMs as much information as you can with your requests
  • 01:00:39 Kent-Adjusting the size of iPhone-scanned photos
  • 01:06:53 Pogo Kelly – Battery Optimization for AirPods?
• Cool Stuff Found
  • 01:13:19 DLH-CSF-INIU 10k Qi2 15W/30W charger with cable strap
  • 01:15:15 CSF Lutron Caseta Shades – CES
• 01:20:42 MGG 1084 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!
  • Mac Geek Gab YouTube Page
  • Mac Geek Gab Live Calendar
  • This Week’s MGG Premium Contributors
  • MGG Apple Podcasts Reviews
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  • BackBeat Media Podcast Network