Backups, Passwords, and Creedence Cryptex

Mac Geek Gab — Your Questions Answered, Tips Shared, Troubleshooting Assistance

Dave Hamilton, Pilot Pete & Adam Christianson

How To, Technology, Education, News, Tech News

4.8 • 977 Ratings

🗓️ 31 March 2025

⏱️ 79 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

You’re not really celebrating World Backup Day unless you’ve got Time Machine humming, Backblaze backing, and Synology syncing. In this week’s Mac Geek Gab, you, Pilot Pete, Adam Christianson, and Dave Hamilton dig deep into layered backup strategies with tools like Arq, Hazel, and iDrive e2—plus the always-timely reminder to check your backups. Then it’s on to Quick Tips: did you know iPhone timers can start or stop audio playback? Or that you can quickly reload Safari without blockers? You’ll even learn how naming your AirTags strategically makes Find My a breeze.
Security’s in the spotlight, too. Make your password manager ironclad, freeze your credit at the big three bureaus, and finally unravel the mystery of the Creedence Cryptex. Got Mac quirks? Learn how to stop macOS windows from auto-resizing and find the best media tools for ripping Blu-Rays. Cool Stuff Found includes gadgets like the FeatherSnap bird feeder cam, Warp.dev for AI terminal magic, HazeOver to tame your desktop, and the punchy 1More Sonoflow cans. Tune in, geek out, and most importantly… Don’t Get Caught.

00:00:00 Mac Geek Gab 1083 for Monday, March 31st, 2025

March 31st: World Backup Day
Police Code 10-83 – Work/school crossing detail
MGG Monthly Giveaway – Unite 6 from BZG Apps!

00:03:46 March 31st: World Backup Day

Time Machine
Backblaze
iCloud Drive Desktop & Documents
Synology Drive (sync, with versioning)
CCC Backup
Hazel
Arq Backup
iDrive e2
Monthly reminder to “Check Backups”

Quick Tips

00:00:01 Perry-QT-iPhone timers can stop AND start audio playing
00:25:59 Carsten-QT-Number your AirTags and just name them in the Find My app
00:28:09 Bill-QT-Reload Safari without Blockers

1Blocker

00:34:20 Carsten-QT-Make your password manager even more secure
00:43:15 Freeze your accounts at credit bureaus (it’s free!)

Equifax
Trans Union
Experian

Show Business

00:46:01 MGG Reviews

MGG Review-SimonLock
MGG Review-rn_doug

00:48:54 MGG Premium Listener Contribution Appreciation Moment

Your Questions Answered and Tips Shared!

00:50:46 David-Creedence Cryptex-What is this?
00:56:14 Joe-How do I stop windows from enlarging when I drag them in macOS 15?
00:58:01 Mac-Media and Optical Drive Recommendations-A Few Things

MakeMKV to Rip Blu-Rays on Your Mac

Cool Stuff Found

01:06:08 CSF-FeatherSnap BirdFeeder with Camera
01:09:17 Rob in STL-CSF-Warp.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	It's time for Mac Geekab and listener Perry brings us our quick tip of the week with,
0:06.2	you probably knew that when you play an audio stream on your iPhone, you can set a timer to act as a sleep timer with the alarm to stop playing instead of a sound.
0:18.0	So did you know that the reverse is also true? If you pause your audio stream
0:22.7	in Syria, Apple Music, etc., and then set the timer time and set the alarm to stop playing,
0:31.5	it will actually start playing that stream when the timer ends. I don't know how long a timer you can set, but it worked with a five-minute timer, and I had no idea of this odd functionality, but there you are.
0:43.6	Perhaps it'll be useful to someone.
0:45.7	More tips like this, plus your questions answered today on MacGeekab number 1083 for Monday, March 31st, 2025.
1:16.2	Greetings, folks, and welcome to Mac geek up the show where you send in tips just like that.
1:17.0	We share them.
1:18.2	You send in cool stuff found.
1:19.5	We share that stuff too.
1:21.1	You send in your questions.
1:21.8	We share them.
1:23.1	And bonus.
1:26.7	Sometimes, hopefully most of the time, we even answer them.
1:29.4	Or at least talk through how that answer might be found here in Durham, New Hampshire. On World Backup Day, I'm Dave Hamilton.
1:40.3	And here in South Dakota, I'm Adam Christensen. And here also in New Hampshire, it's Pilot Pete.
1:47.0	Good to be back this week.
1:48.8	Yeah.
1:49.1	I made it in spite of my best efforts.
1:52.2	We missed you, man.
1:53.4	So I did it.
	...

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