iBUG Mac-N-Talk

iBUG Today

Are you thinking about getting a Mac? Are you wondering if you will be able to learn the accessibility features of the Mac operating system on your own? Do you have issues or questions about using your Mac?
If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions, then this free iBUG Mac-N-Talk training session on the accessibility features of the Mac OS and hardware is the place for you. iBUG Mac-N-Talk is facilitated by advanced iBUG member, Chanelle Allen.

Recorded live on the fourth Tuesday of the month, 7:00 to 8:30 PM Central Time.

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21 episodes
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Avg 1 hr 29 min
English

Episodes 21

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Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.

Wednesday · 1 hr 30 min
Episode #85 September 22, 2026
Facilitator: Chanelle Allen Topics: new Siri voice on Mac also became active on iPhone; checking system specs now says iMac instead of Intel; how to mute and unmute on the Mac in Zoom; focus is never at the top when checking email; Mail app does not populate with the same accounts that are on iPhone; sometimes Option-Up Arrow doesn't work in Mail; should one update to macOS 27; why do some updates not come to computers with the Intel chip; how to open a folder in the Dock; newly created folder ended up on the Desktop; VoiceOver equivalent for dragging; is there an easy way to shut down your computer; what is an alias; would bump dots on function keys mess up the Mac; how to copy YouTube links; how to select text in Safari; is there a time limit on copy and paste.
August 27 · 1 hr 25 min
Episode #84 August 26, 2026
Facilitator: Chanelle Allen Topics: Chess app broken on M2 Mac mini, are there alternative solutions; how to open a link in a text message with VoiceOver on Mac; automatic updates on Mac don't update software; deciding when to upgrade the operating system; VO- A always starts in the top of a document in TextEdit even when returning to the same open file later; using VO-F followed by the arrow keys does not move to the desired location; turning on VoiceOver in VMWare Fusion crashes the virtual machine; how to create a script to turn offVoiceOver and turn on a virtual machine; when to use Microsoft Word or Apple software; can you save RTF as DOCX in TextEdit; messages on Mac are not syncing with messages on iPhone; email account syncing problems.
July 30 · 1 hr 26 min
Episode #83 July 28, 2026
Facilitator: Chanelle Allen Topics: How to download rather than play an audio file in Safari; Problems with Mac fully updating; Items disappeared from the Desktop after doing an update; Widgets appear on the Desktop and how to remove them; Which class explains the new features of the Notes app; Pressing Enter after recording in Amadeus Pro doesn't work to stop the recording; Why do people use Amadeus Pro; No option to remove a widget when using VoiceOver actions menu; Option-Up Arrow and Option-Down Arrow do not work in Mail to go to the top or bottom of the message list; Why can't you use Enter to dismiss a widget; VO-F8 goes to Notification Center instead of VoiceOver Utility; Trouble using non-Apple keyboard with MacBook Air; Disabling Trackpad is possible in the VoiceOver Utility under the Commands category; Trackpad is useful for toggling speech and screen curtain or interacting; threads no longer grouped in Mac mail; How to set up your iPhone or Apple Watch to log into your computer; Advantages of unlocking Mac with Apple Watch; Can the Apple Watch be used to authenticate something on the Mac; When to adjust password and login settings; Is there a benefit to upgrading an M2 Mac; How is Siri AI doing on macOS Golden Gate.
June 25 · 1 hr 27 min
Episode #82 June 23, 2026
Facilitator: Chanelle Allen Topics: Mac doesn't save passwords on sites like YouTube after updating to Tahoe; how to drag and drop with VoiceOver compared to using the Trackpad; feedback to new Mac users and participants on the class; Option-Up Arrow doesn't work right away to go to the top of the email list; what are the key commands for page down, specifically how to go down a page in Numbers; Can you set a default file when you open a new TextEdit document; how to get around lots of ads in YouTube videos from the Mac training class; recommended reading for the Mac training class and class archives; is the MacBook Neo a good option or would the MacBook Air be better; how to create a link to a website on your Desktop; will Mac Safari mirror favorites and bookmarks from iPhone; receiving an authentication required message after 10-12 minutes of playing a file in QuickTime player; computer randomly goes to sleep when idle and starts saying authentication application window content is empty; how to turn on screen curtain; turning screen curtain on still shows a band on the screen; Fn key is not to the left of Control on the old extended Mac keyboard; layouts for other Mac keyboards; how to deal with system notifications; several widgets appear on the Desktop when restarting; how to remove desktop widgets; what is the quickest way to answer a FaceTime call when it comes in on your Mac.
May 28 · 1 hr 28 min
Episode #81 May 27, 2026
Facilitator: Chanelle Allen Topics: troubleshooting Mac and printer connection problems; difficulty finding buttons for screen sharing with Apple accessibility; how to turn off mouse pointer and Trackpad when using VoiceOver; how to make sure the mouse cursor is out of the way; can you mirror your iPhone to the Mac; anything comparable to Keyboard Help for learning Mac commands; can you get a Mac without a touch bar; is Boot camp still supported on Macs; music producing apps that work well on the Mac; best environment or tasks for using the Mac; what does "Desktop" mean in Notification settings; can you use the iPhone on your Mac as a webcam; process for clearing all notifications; Num Lock key on external keyboard goes to the Dock.
April 29 · 1 hr 30 min
Episode #80 April 28, 2026
Facilitator: Chanelle Allen Topics: what to look for when purchasing an external drive; thumb drive where Windows files were copied is read only on Mac; when to use VO-Space versus Enter; keyboard command alternatives to VoiceOver commands for accessing the shortcut menu; can VO-Shift- K always stay on; what is VO; can keyboard shortcuts replace VoiceOver; sometimes Caps lock doesn't work for VO commands; How can you use a keyboard without a function key; does command- k work on the Mac to create a link; differentiating between letters in commands and how to activate commands that use the same letter twice; how to prevent Caps lock from being activated when doing VoiceOver commands; does key repeat apply only to letters or modifiers as well; examples of useful Numpad commands; problems editing in Pages after the latest Pages update; how to get started learning the Mac; can you change an old Intel-based Mac to a Linux configuration; Card World app made by developers of Dice World works well on the Mac; how to play games on the Mac; how to screen record on Mac using Zoom.
March 25 · 1 hr 33 min
Episode #79 March 24, 2026
Facilitator: Chanelle Allen Topics: How to easily jump through and use the Mac Podcasts app; how accessible is navigating around Garage Band for recording a presentation; is there a VO shortcut to shut down the Mac; tricks for shutting down and starting up your Mac; what are thoughts on the necessity of shutting down the Mac; how to download a playlist in the Music app; does anyone make use of Siri on the Mac and how useful is it; triggering Siri and Dictation; advantages of the new Apple Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad and function key at the bottom left; what is the advantage of getting a Mac cleaning app and can you perform maintenance manually; trouble getting the latest Mac security update; VoiceOver can be hard to use with AirPlay and the volume fluctuates; can you get Perplexity on the Mac and how do you use Apple Intelligence; can you label inaccessible items on the screen with VoiceOver; do Silicon Macs have Visual intelligence; have you encountered nutrition accessibility labels on Mac App Store apps; is there an audible indicator on the Mac to let you know Caps lock is on; is there anything major with macOS 26.4 specifically related to Gemini.
February 26 · 1 hr 28 min
Episode #78 February 24, 2026
Facilitator: Chanelle Allen Topics: Advancing the Rotor doesn't work on the Mac; Mac and braille display don't connect over Bluetooth; How to locate files on a Thumb drive in Mac Finder; How to share an iCloud Drive folder; Experiences with the new Zoom interface on Mac: Original buttons for Mute/Unmute, Original Sound, and other controls do not appear; Avoid trouble in Zoom participants table by setting VoiceOver to ignore Mouse pointer; Is it better to have VoiceOver ignore the Mouse pointer; Quick Nav must constantly be toggled on and off on many webpages with latest version of Safari; Can you update Safari separately from macOS; is it easy to learn Mac commands; Opinions on new budget Mac to be released soon; Recommendation for external storage of at least 20 gb;
January 28 · 1 hr 29 min
Episode #77 January 27, 2026
Facilitator: Chanelle Allen Topics: Experience updating to Tahoe; how to add an event to Calendar from Gmail website; can you use Trackpad independently of or in conjunction with VoiceOver for people transitioning to using a screen reader; what Trackpad commands are available for VoiceOver; how to generate better passwords; some websites do not like strong passwords suggested by Safari; how to open a PDF attachment from Mail and read it in Preview; alternate methods for reading PDFs; how to start using Safari instead of Chrome; how to install Google Chrome on the Mac; how to install something in a DMG file; why use Chrome and Safari; what keyboard command represents the right mouse click with VoiceOver; how to right click on the Trackpad; can you press Command-Delete to delete a photo; how to change the behavior of function keys; what is the Image descriptor command; update for Amadeus Pro fixes issues with Tahoe; recommendations for where to get Amadeus Pro; how to write or copy text in the edit field of a message; does learning VoiceOver require familiarity with the keyboard.
Dec 24, 2025 · 1 hr 30 min
Episode #76 December 25, 2025
Facilitator: Chanelle Allen Topics: iBUG Mac Training class start date; what to do when Finder is not responding after logging on; How to keep USB-C AirPods Pro from being treated as a wired Mac headset and still connected via Bluetooth to iPhone while plugged into the Mac for charging; Zoom Workplace layout differences between Windows and Mac; how to select non-consecutive items in Finder; how to select multiple messages in Mac mail for deletion; how to search for Mail; how to set up junk mail filtering on Mac; iBUG emails not coming through to Gmail addresses; trying to use Zoom and Apple USB-C EarPods but input and output keep changing; how to DJ on Internet radio using the Mac and Audio Hijack; Mac case is not necessary and keyboard over may warp screen; conversation and messages lists are now in reverse order in latest macOS 26.2 Messages app; how does Spotify fit into Internet Radio discussion; option to search within toolbar is back in Apple Music in macOS 26.2; In Apple music, spacebar works to pause but not always to re-play; cannot open an album with VO- Spacebar in Apple Music; how to read received messages in messages app; can you turn off Bluetooth on Mac; how to get to the info dialog in Finder; how to write accents on the Mac.
Nov 27, 2025 · 1 hr 31 min
Episode #75 November 25, 2025
Facilitator: Chanelle Allen Topics: Does MacBook Pro come with a case; Shortcut for completely shutting down the Mac so that it is not toggled on by extraneous key presses or movement; Is the macOS 26 Tahoe Reference Card from National Braille Press useful; where to find the BRF copy of the VoiceOver User Guide, and is it available in hard copy braille; How to move a file from Documents into a new folder; Accessibility of AI programs on the Mac such as Claude and Sora; Perspective Intelligence from Techopolis Online Solutions; has anyone used Slack on the Mac; How to use the universal clipboard to paste something from the Mac into Slack; How to search for a Mac case; what is the Trackpad; understanding how to use the ports on the Mac mini; What to do when activating links in emails shows webpages as images; Workaround for testing things without VoiceOver; how to use VO-Shift-L and what section of the screen does it recognize; How to make changes in a Mac popover such as in Calendar or Reminders without exiting and losing the changes; How to find and dismiss a pages dialog about font substitutions; What is Perky Duck and is it accessible on the Mac; what is a good OCR program for the Mac; Voice Dream Reader on Mac; lower-priced Mac apps offered around Black Friday.
Oct 29, 2025 · 1 hr 32 min
Episode #74 October 29, 2025
Facilitator: Chanelle Allen Topics: How to have emails not be automatically marked as read when arrowing through the message list; what does Inbox warning sign mean?; can't get out of Messages list; how to deal with Mail or Finder not responding or VoiceOver being sluggish; Amadeus not responding problem when using Right Arrow to fast forward; Mail freezes when using quick navigation keys to navigate a message, cannot quit or do anything for up to 30 seconds; Mail seems to jump when going down the list deleting messages; updated Mac to Tahoe, has anyone added widgets to Desktop; 2019 Mac is not able to update to Tahoe, is it time for a new Mac; what can you do on the Mac with Apple intelligence; what's new with Tahoe; what is Clipboard History; how to copy a link when it is on a line with other text; use VO-M-M to go to Menu extras; couldn't get universal clipboard to work when trying to paste text from Mac to Facebook Messenger on iPhone; use Bluetooth keyboard VoiceOver commands as alternatives to rotor gestures on iPhone; how to fetch something sent via AirDrop to Mac; use VO-F7 to check WiFi signal; how to play a playlist in Apple Music on a new Mac; does everyone pay for Apple Care on Mac; look for continuity under AirDrop and AirPlay in System Settings; setting List Preview to none in Mail Settings > Viewing causes no message text to be spoken even when Use Column Layout is disabled.
Sep 26, 2025 · 1 hr 29 min
Episode #73 - September 23, 2025
Facilitator: Chanelle Allen Topics: How to resolve previous remapping of Control, Option, and Space to start using VoiceOver; no longer able to use context menu in Excel to rename sheets; difference between Action Menu when it says actions available and context menu; correct options are not given for Actions Menu when viewing Dropbox notifications; VO-N versus VO-O; using macOS Sonoma effectively; how to navigate podcasts on the Mac; how to navigate and make sense of rearranged Music app in Tahoe: cannot type in desired search terms or add songs to playlists; opening links in Safari sometimes causes VoiceOver to say image and the webpage doesn't seem to load properly; how to quickly get to podcast chapters in Downcast; are there VoiceOver Tutorial improvements in Tahoe; VoiceOver friendly apps for writing; truth of story that Google Chrome should not be used on Apple devices; where to go with Mac navigation and using it every day; what is a tab group within a website; bugs to be aware of in Tahoe; something blocks an edit box from loading on a banking website in Safari; difference between sound volume and VoiceOver volume.
Aug 28, 2025 · 1 hr 29 min
Episode #72 - August 26, 2025
Facilitator: Chanelle Allen Topics: when using Messages, contacts on iPhone only show as phone numbers on Mac; best technique for using Mac keyboard where right side doesn't have Control key; best keyboard to work with all devices; reverb/echoey audio when using Farrago, Loopback, and Vocaster; good place to start learning VoiceOver commands; since Sequoia 15.6.1, Zoom links don't open and prompt for using the Zoom Workplace app; volume was very low while sharing Loopback audio in Zoom despite sound in file being normalized: disabling audio ducking suggested as solution; what does Farrago do; difference between Audio Hijack and Loopback; is Piezo like Amadeus Pro; Using VLC and not having files open in the Music app; no way to set default app by group, must be done by file type; will copying VoiceOver settings to iCloud transfer to another Mac; adjusting hints: turning them on/off temporarily or increasing delay; truth of rumors that Apple will create a budget MacBook running on the A18 Processor; recommendation for Mac geek Gab and VoiceOver Learning Lounge podcasts.
Jul 25, 2025 · 1 hr 27 min
Episode #71 - July 22, 2025
Facilitator: Chanelle Allen Topics: how to select a Mac with optimal portability, storage, and processing power; suggestions for Mac training opportunities; potential benefits to Pages and spreadsheet apps on Mac when iPhone/iPad versions are clunky; advisability of using Mac Fuse with the Brailliant and uncertainty about operating Disk Utility; how to get VoiceOver focus on the incompatible fonts warning or window in Pages when opening a Word document; how to read a Word document if you don't have Word on the Mac; meaning of words such as Yosemite when coming from a Windows background; exploring possibility of switching to the Mac for simple word processing tasks like keeping lists; Mac Mail question: how to show the unified inbox and expand Favorites and All Inboxes with VoiceOver; cost of a good Mac; does the MacBook Air have a touch pad for gestures; availability of iOS apps on Mac; tips for cleaning off keyboard and laptop screen or knowing when and how to have it inspected by Apple; activating the Add button next to Favorites in order to unhide unified mailboxes; how well do Siri and Dictation work on the Mac; what does VO mean and how to use it on a Windows keyboard; how to use Apple Music and Podcasts with VoiceOver; work arounds for Safari not opening an HTM file; tip for adding Mac app keyboard shortcuts and function of Option key when pressed in combination with certain letters and symbols; Mac USB keyboard for Amadeus Pro.
Jun 26, 2025 · 1 hr 29 min
Episode 70 - June 24, 2025
Facilitator: Chanelle Allen Topics: Amadeus Pro: trouble with keyboard shortcuts for editing and navigation; work around for Amadeus Pro: mouse pointer should follow VoiceOver Cursor; how to take advantage of Send Later feature in the Mac Messages app; trying to set up an activity using different voices for different apps still uses default VoiceOver voice; best method for silencing unwanted speech in Zoom other than turning off VoiceOver; latest Apple Magic keyboards have FN key in bottom left corner; positive recommendation for Matias USB keyboard ; notification that keyboard will operate as wireless when plugged in via USB doesn't pop up anymore and attempt to turn off Bluetooth warns about no longer having a keyboard; can you get away with not using an FN key; for different voices in activities: make sure primary voice is set to desired voice and don't worry about adding rotor languages; will Amadeus Pro work after macOS 26; macOS 26 will be the last to run on Intel Macs; are Rogue Amoeba apps working as expected on Tahoe; considering the purchase of a new computer: how does Mac mini compare to other Macs; traveling with Mac minis and laptops; do current Mac minis require a dongle; how to adjust playback speed in the podcast app rather than in the menu; when typing in password at logon, there is no alert that it is incorrect; why does Music app launch even without a file, and force quit does not close it.
May 29, 2025 · 1 hr 27 min
Episode 69 - May 27, 2025
Facilitator: Chanelle Allen Topics: noticeable difference or things missing on a four-year-old Mac; difference between VoiceOver and JAWS and Mac and Windows; Mac keyboard layout differences; purpose of keys above six pack on Extended Apple keyboard for Windows; has interacting behavior changed on the Mac; how to copy files to the same drive from several locations; differences in keyboard commands for Mac and iPad; further classes and resources to explore after Mac training course; difference between MacBook Pro and MacBook Air; how do Macs work with Office; how does Microsoft Office 365 compare to the Apple iWork suite; Home, End, Page Up and Page Down keys: locations on a MacBook keyboard and purposes for Mac and VoiceOver navigation; other commands you can perform with holding down the FN key; Changes to new extended Apple Magic keyboard with touch ID; assigning keys for Apple Intelligence; how to change touch bar so that it displays F1 through F12 keys; how to use ChatGPT on the Mac; how to make better use of the calendar on the Mac; does it make a difference whether the Zoom URL is in the location field or in the URL field of a calendar event; what is KeyNote equivalent to in the Office suite; how easy are Google suite applications to use on Mac
Apr 28, 2025 · 1 hr 26 min
Episode 68 - April 25, 2025
Facilitator: Chanelle Allen Topics: How difficult or easy is it to switch to a Mac from Windows: advantages of using the Mac; Resources for learning VoiceOver on the Mac; can you tell Siri to turn VoiceOver on when booting up a new Mac; is VoiceOver as compatible with Mac as JAWS is with Windows; how to learn the Mac while listening to learning resources on the same or a different device; can you have multiple windows open in Mail; how to represent Command and other keyboard keys when writing notes; program for controlling the Mac and typing text with your voice; why no audio when connecting to Zoom on Mac mini; how to expand a conversation in Mail on Mac; Mac application for people to collaborate on the same document for note taking; can you trade in a Mac or do you have to keep the same one; how long can you use your Mac before having to purchase a new one; important considerations for choosing a computer for returning to college.
Mar 29, 2025 · 1 hr 18 min
Episode 67 - March 25, 2025
Facilitator: Chanelle Allen Topics: How to capture audio from WhatsApp using Loopback; navigating among and reading messages in the Mac mail app; cannot find an installed app in the Applications folder but App Store says open rather than download; do TextEdit documents open in Duxbury on Mac; how to show file extensions; how to read an email that just says text; accessing the iBUG Mac Training videos; quickest way to get to the main region when you open a webpage in Safari; does using Print with Command-P automatically connect to a wireless printer; keyboard command to mute and unmute speech on VoiceOver; new layout in VoiceOver utility for command customization; VoiceOver Option key commands to adjust rate and volume now work after latest macOS update; problem with old USB-A Apple keyboard being sporadically recognized by the Mac; user Authentication message has gone away after latest update; work arounds for VoiceOver saying application when display turns off; working with files on an external drive is slow because the drive has to wake up; general recommendations on local Mac backup.
Mar 2, 2025 · 1 hr 17 min
Episode 66 February 25, 2025
Facilitator: Chanelle Allen Topics: Mac only charges to 80% and says charging on hold: how to fully charge battery; interacting with the list of messages in Mail and deleting doesn't automatically move to the next item; how to set up a Mac so opening the lid doesn't cause it to boot up automatically; how to apply headings in Pages and TextEdit; Loopback description; improvement in Rogue Amoeba products; how to convert YouTube videos; beware of sites that download other content or apps instead or in place of converted videos; unable to read pasted URL when using YouTube to MP3 from MediaHuman; problem converting some music videos that seem to be protected by YouTube; how to put Mac on airplane mode while on an airplane or is it best to leave the Mac powered off; why TSA in some countries asks for devices to be powered on; deactivate WiFi in Control Center to reduce battery; how to remove mute button from the touch bar; removing items from the touch bar is difficult with VoiceOver; set a keyboard command to toggle mute/unmute; unmute system sound via one of the volume shortcuts: either VO-Equals or VO-Dash; Touch Bar settings: Showing hardware or software controls; how to copy a book downloaded from BARD on to a flash drive; losing sound in Amadeus Pro when editing; iPhone may be utilized as a mobile hotspot connection for the Mac; Lightning AirPods Max received update; recommendations for shutting down the Mac after an update; user prompted for password in the middle of a Mac update; error when saving Amadeus file: application storage has been depleted; viewing applications in Activity Monitor.

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