Since April 2018, I have been listening to the Mac Geek Gab podcast. This excellent weekly show, formerly from The Mac Observer, aims for every participant—listener and host alike—to learn at least five new things about the Mac “every time we get together.”

This week, the show’s hosts are at the annual Consumer Electronics Show, exploring some of the latest technologies from companies around the world. (Apple is also making a rare appearance at the conference to talk about consumer privacy.)

Quick Tips

There are three primary content elements in the Mac Geek Gab. Quick Tips are little bundles of joy that help users become more efficient. For example, in Episode 794 that aired two weeks ago, a quick tip I shared aired (at 00:28:58):

I inadvertently discovered that you can hold Shift+Control when mousing over the Dock to temporarily reverse the Dock Magnification setting. So, if you have lots of tiny icons in your Dock, you can magnify them temporarily to see what you’re clicking. Or, if you use magnification but want your icons to sit still for a moment….

The shortcut respects the magnification strength set in System Preferences, even if the setting is turned off.

Cool Stuff Found

Mac Geek Gab informs listeners about products and applications that make our technology lives easier or more fun or informative, categorizing them as Cool Stuff Found.

If you’re looking for an easy way to download videos embedded on various websites like YouTube and Vimeo, MGG has repeatedly recommended Downie by developer Charlie Monroe, as I reminded hosts Dave and John last week (at 00:03:52).

Questions & Geek Challenges

Listeners regularly send in their questions for help from John and Dave. Often, they cover their personal experiences and recommendations regarding new hardware and software, like iPhone 11, smart home devices, earphones, and macOS updates.

I loved their mention of high quality ear plugs in last week’s episode (at 01:23:07). With my more recently discovered awareness of hearing sensitivities, I’m considering a pair of Loop Earplugs.

Sometimes, the more challenging quandaries spill over to become Geek Challenges, offering listeners the opportunity to submit their own insights for mention in subsequent episodes.

Special Features

Each episode has one or more sponsors, whose products and services the hosts use and recommend. Through their partnerships, many of the sponsors offer some sweet deals to listeners, frequently worth around 20% off one of their offerings.

Dave and John are not alone in trusting some of these brands. I, too, am an avid user of TextExpander, purchaser of upgrades from Other World Computing, and user of parts and repair guides from iFixit.

Listeners can help fund the production of the show, too, with one-time or recurring donations. The hosts share donor names and locales on various episodes throughout the year.

Also, Mac Geek Gab offers a livestream experience where listeners can hear the show while it’s recorded and participate in real-time via a chatroom. [Update: The show is now broadcast live on YouTube and Facebook. Live chat is available in the show’s Discord community.]

Mac Geek Gab is chock full of goodies with about 90 minutes per episode dropping each Monday. Though their schedule doesn’t often align with my waking hours for live participation, I look forward to listening to the recording each week.

If you’re intrigued by the idea of learning more than you can garner from Mac Mondays or feel you’re in a league beyond some of my shares, I highly recommend you check out the podcast.

Mac Geek Gab has become a solid component of my professional development and I’m excited to contribute my feedback and discoveries. The show’s famous last words: “Don’t Get Caught!”