A Wonderful Opportunity to Get Super Confused

Your Quick Tip arsenal gets a serious upgrade this week: use the Live Text button to make scanning QR codes easier, resurrect Apple Mail’s Predicted Mailbox when it mysteriously grays out, and run softwareupdate –history in Terminal to see every macOS update your Mac has ever installed. You’ll also hear how one listener’s Shortcuts automation fixes AirPods auto-play, why BBEdit is your secret weapon for editing Excel formulas and tailing log files, and how Safari’s Show Reader option strips the junk from cluttered pages — plus a bonus riff on the real trade-offs between convenience, privacy, and the content you actually want. And yes, Siri AI in the iOS 27 betas is finally impressing people, with real-world examples to prove it.
Then Dave Hamilton and Adam Christianson dig into your questions: why Safari drops website connections (and how ping helps you diagnose it), whether those archive drives sitting in your drawer need regular care (spoiler: don’t get caught trusting a single backup you never spin up), and the smartest path for migrating your custom email domain from Google Workspace to iCloud. You’ll also get the scoop on replacing the aging Paperless app before Rosetta vanishes with macOS 28, and a challenge worth taking: get your AI out of the chat window and into doing actual work for you. Press play, take notes, and Don’t Get Caught.
00:00:00 Mac Geek Gab 1152 for Monday, July 27th, 2026
July 27th: Gary Gygax Day
MGG Monthly Giveaway – Win a license to Mole
Quick Tips
00:00:01 Todd-QT-Use the Live Text button to make QR codes easier
00:06:43 Steve-QT-Using Apple Mail’s Predicted Mailbox
Bonus QT: Connect your inbox to your favorite LLM (via an MCP Connector?) and ask it “please tell me the ten most important emails requiring my action today.”
00:09:55 Stephen-Some of Siri AI’s improvements in the iOS 27 betas
00:17:54 Mike-QT-1151-Solve AirPods auto-play issues with Shortcuts
00:19:15 Craig-QT-Use ‘softwareupdate –history’ to see every macOS update your Mac’s ever done.
Adam’s Safe Download Version for XProtect
00:22:41 Mike-QT-You can still buy StyleWriter II cartridges at Staples!
00:24:11 Todd-QT-1151-Edit Excel Formulas in BBEdit
00:25:47 Kiwi Graham-QT-View log tails with BBEdit
00:29:01 Andy-QT-Use Safari’s “Show Reader” option to force reader view
And a bonus conversation about the balance between convenience, privacy, and the entertainment we want
Sponsors
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00:40:59 SPONSOR: BBEdit, the power tool for text from Bare Bones Software; now with integrated Notebooks and extended language support. https://www.barebones.com/products/bbedit/
Your Questions Answered and Tips Shared!
00:42:17 David-Why does Safari drop website connections?
ping -t 5 website.com
00:51:44 Using location to help deliver content
00:54:15 GW-Do I need to care for my archive drives?
01:02:30 Jonathan-How do I migrate my email domain from GSuite to iCloud?
01:09:45 Kim-Which Paperless replacement and migration path are you using?
macOS loses Rosetta in 2027 with macOS 28
softwareupdate –install-rosetta
01:16:03 Get out of Chat with your AI
01:18:51 MGG 1152 Outtro
MGG Monthly Giveaway
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!
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