Emphatically Kind Requests

Customize your Finder icons for instant recognition, stretch your Apple Watch battery on long workouts with Low Power Mode, and jump months back in your Messages history with a single tap. You’ll also learn how to force macOS 27 to download from Terminal when Software Update won’t show it, and how to run separate Claude Desktop apps for work and home. Then your two geeks and a pilot tackle whether you can migrate to a new iPhone from an iOS beta, whether you need Mail.app running to feed Apple Intelligence, and the one Search setting that might be keeping Siri from your data.
The big revelation is that you can now ask Siri why something failed, and she might actually tell you. No yelling required, though an emphatically kind request helps. You’ll get the best ways to connect to your Synology DiskStation without certificate warnings, and find out why Apple Watch battery service may get you a whole new watch, possibly with blood oxygen intact. Cool Stuff Found brings SetShot for tracking macOS settings changes, Marked QL for previewing Markdown in Quick Look, a folding case for iPhone Duo, and news that Apple will replace the Duo’s screen layer when the crease shows up. Press play, ask better questions, and Don’t Get Caught!
00:00:00 Mac Geek Gab 1163 for Monday, October 12th, 2026
October 12th: National Gumbo Day
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Quick Tips
00:00:01 Customize your macOS Finder icons (Pilot Pete)
00:03:37 Put your Apple Watch in Low Power Mode during long workouts (Jonathan)
00:06:00 Jump to earlier messages quickly (Pilot Pete)
00:09:14 Can’t see macOS 27 in Software Update? Try Terminal (NASANut)
List the available full installers:
softwareupdate --list-full-installers
Download a specific version:
softwareupdate --fetch-full-installer --full-installer-version 27.0.1
Dash for macOS
00:16:32 Run multiple Claude Desktop apps for work and home (PorthosJon)
Launch a second instance with its own account:
open -n -a "Claude" --args --user-data-dir="$HOME/.claude-instances/work"
Sponsors
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Your Questions Answered
00:23:41 Can I migrate to a new iPhone from one running an iOS beta? (Terry)
00:27:48 Are Pete and Dave still getting iPhone Duo?
00:29:14 Should I be running Mail.app to take advantage of Apple Intelligence? (Barry)
hybridsearchd high CPU usage is often triggered by Smart Mailboxes using “Entire Message” criteria
00:35:21 Don’t Get Caught: make sure Siri can see your apps’ data (Robb)
00:37:22 Siri can answer tech support questions about your Mac
Try asking “Why did that fail?” and it might just tell you!
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More Questions and Tips
00:48:13 How do you connect to your Synology DiskStations? (NASANut)
MariusHosting.com
00:55:32 Follow-up to MGG 1161: Apple replaced our Apple Watches when we had the batteries serviced (James)
00:57:35 Follow-up to MGG 1161: Apple Watch warranty replacements might display blood oxygen (Martin)
Cool Stuff Found
00:58:48 SetShot tracks macOS Settings changes (Andrew)
01:01:59 Marked QL previews Markdown in Quick Look (also in Setapp) (Allison)
Marked 3
01:05:47 Limitless iPhone Duo Case (Terry)
01:10:12 Apple will replace the iPhone Duo’s folding screen layer
01:12:23 MGG 1163 Outro
MGG Monthly Giveaway
Bandwidth Provided by CacheFly
Pilot Pete’s Aviation Podcast: So There I Was (for Aviation Enthusiasts)
The Deb...