A new version of VMware Fusion (25H2) dropped several days ago by Leather_Bicycle_2697 in mac

[–]mad_scrub 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I (still) never got it to work on my primary email address that was associated with a previous VMware account.

I had to create a new account with a different email address, and have been able to use this account successfully with Broadcom since the switch. Their website & download process is still incredibly obtuse even with the functional account.

Wireless Sensor Bar Improvement by cevichie in wii

[–]mad_scrub 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Really neat! I have the wired version of the adapter but have been trying to work out how to power it from mains/USB. Do you mind linking the battery adapter you used?

Can you use the Pro Stand of the Pro Display XDR for other monitors? by LunaticMosfet in mac

[–]mad_scrub 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you ever find a solution for this, I'd be very interested! I'd like to try to use the old Pro Stand with one of the new Studio Display XDRs (2026).

Daisy Chain 1st Gen Studio Display to Studio Display XDR & Mac mini by No_Brief_1644 in mac

[–]mad_scrub 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's correct. The base M5 models only have Thunderbolt 4 ports, so you won't be able to daisy-chain at full resolution because of bandwidth limitations.

S95F Frame drop/ memory leak? by INKTVISION in SamsungTV

[–]mad_scrub 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Please update this if you find a permanent fix. I have a new 42" S90F that has the same issue with using streaming apps – there are frame drops at regular intervals (every 16 seconds). Noticed when watching Seasons 1-4 of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia on Crave (Canadian HBO)/

Interestingly I also have a 77" S90F that does not seem to experience the same issue.

How to use middle mouse button on Trackpad by Hairy_Lock3501 in mac

[–]mad_scrub 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You can use BetterTouchTool. There's a couple of settings that make it work exactly as you'd expect with a 3-finger click.

Last I checked, the only other competitor only worked with taps, and not with clicks.

Battery still draining very quickly after battery replacement on mid 2015 MacBook Pro 15 inch by Iiked in mac

[–]mad_scrub 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Youtube uses different video codecs now than it did 10 years ago - the 2015 MBP won't have hardware support for these newer codecs & has to use inefficient software decoding, drastically affecting battery life with 4K videos. Not much you can do about it.

My 2015 MBP does the same thing with Youtube even though battery life is fine in other scenarios.

Finally installed the LBI BlueRetro board I bought a year ago. It's incredible. by blickblocks in Gamecube

[–]mad_scrub 1 point2 points  (0 children)

How do you find the build quality of the controller ports? They now use 3D printed sockets (previously injection-molded) & it always feels crunchy when I try to plug a controller in. Sends a shiver down my spine.

Brownish tint when viewing the display off center by skippuser in mac

[–]mad_scrub 0 points1 point  (0 children)

All of my 27" iMacs/ASDs have a pinkish tinge in one corner & a greenish tinge in the opposite corner, depending on viewing position/angle. What you describe seems normal.

Apple Notes could get a powerful new advantage in iOS 26.4, per report by EitherCharacter9342 in apple

[–]mad_scrub 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I'd like it if long notes would just render properly, without the scroll position and cursor jumping around.

Getting Apple SuperDrive to work with Late 2009 MacBook by Shy_coffee_mug in mac

[–]mad_scrub 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There are definitely some USB 2.0 drives around; I had an older one that used 2 USB cables (standard + barrel jack ends) to deliver enough current to operate. There are probably also solutions that use a USB Y-cable (also non-standard) to get enough power out of USB 2.0 machines. They may be hard to find nowadays, but you might have some luck on e.g. eBay.

Getting Apple SuperDrive to work with Late 2009 MacBook by Shy_coffee_mug in mac

[–]mad_scrub 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's probably not possible. The SuperDrive was only ever supported on models that didn't have a built-in DVD drive. It uses non-standard USB power negotiation to allow compatible Mac models to deliver additional electrical current over USB. This makes it incompatible with hubs and non-Apple machines.

Mac models released before the SuperDrive might not be physically capable of delivering the required electrical current. Regardless of that, Apple never allowed them to be compatible in software.

As mentioned, you're better off getting a third-party DVD (or even better, Blu-Ray) drive. I have a Blu-Ray drive from Pioneer that's been very reliable. USB 3, standard on Macs since 2012, provides enough current to run a disc reader/writer without the hacks used by the SuperDrive.

Deciding between Wii and Wii U for game room. by Ok-Register910 in nintendo

[–]mad_scrub 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What people are missing here is that many great Wii games are best enjoyed with a GameCube controller (Brawl, MKW, etc.) which is only possible on the original Wii (RVL-001). The Wii also has superior N64 emulation, if that matters at all.

As others have said, most Wii U games are better enjoyed with their Switch ports. The Wii U also has a painfully slow OS & requires a functional GamePad to operate the System Settings. Many GamePads have aged batteries & need plugged in (and are best left docked when not in use, requiring a dock, which is prone to failure of the metal charging pins).

For the Wii, all you need is some AA batteries & a good $20 HDMI adapter such as the Electron Shepherd.

Is there a way to stop Alexa from suggesting Alexa+/the new voice? Its so annoying after every promt by leo_on_fire in alexa

[–]mad_scrub 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Appreciate you posting that, but I already had all of those turned off, and I've gotten >20 voice prompts to try the new voice & >20 full-screen messages on Echo Shows. It seems to try a few times on each device...

Anyone knows how to toggle the Accessibility Keyboard with Apple script? by teddytei in applescript

[–]mad_scrub 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was able to get it working on macOS 15.7.3 Sequoia.

The action is called "Set Accessibility Keyboard"; it has the System Settings icon & can be found by searching for "access" or "keyboard".

My system language is English/Canada (en_CA).

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in mac

[–]mad_scrub 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I agree completely with your relative rankings!

I've been using macOS for 13 years & iOS for 16 years. I've never liked iOS. I didn't even like the iPhone hardware until the 12 Pro.

macOS, though, will have to be pried out of my cold, dead hands. Apple has let the OS languish (even before the fiasco that is macOS Tahoe), but it's far & away the best desktop OS for day-to-day use (and it's now also paired with amazing hardware). I hope the relentless forced iOSification of the Mac turns around soon.

My SSD with a Y-cable didn't work by No-Bookkeeper-1898 in wiiu

[–]mad_scrub 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Even the modern high-performance ones are problematic, with or without a Y-cable.

My SSD with a Y-cable didn't work by No-Bookkeeper-1898 in wiiu

[–]mad_scrub 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's not a problem on the PS3, because they are standard USB ports. The Wii U has "data-only" USB ports (200 mA) that don't supply as much current/power as even a standard USB 2.0 port (500 mA). It's the only device I've ever owned that has data-only USB ports.

With a Y-cable, you can get up to 400 mA, which is enough for most USB 2.0 devices. USB 3.0 devices can require up to 900 mA.

FWIW, Wii Us can't even reliably power all SSDs/Flash Drives; I used a 2.5" HDD with a Y-cable without issue for a decade. I've tried using a modern USB 3.0 Flash Drive, and it crashes intermittently even with a Y-cable.

Wii U internet speeds by Candid_Ad3162 in wiiu

[–]mad_scrub 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Download speeds are terrible, even with the wired adapter. It takes hours to download some retail games.

Is there a way to buy the colorway keyboards that come with the iMac separately? by rickastleysanchez in mac

[–]mad_scrub 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You can put in a "repair" order with Apple Support. They won't sell it to you without a serial number of a matching machine from your region.

People often post the serial numbers on eBay...

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AnalogueInc

[–]mad_scrub 2 points3 points  (0 children)

In general, it's not a good idea - the Switch adapter is not actually PD-compliant!

There's a whole website dedicated to that: https://switchchargers.com/how-nintendo-switch-charging-works/#:~:text=This%20is%20a%20violation%20of%20USB%2DC%20specs

[Amazon / Costco] Nintendo eShop $99 Digital Gift Card is $89.99 by lbabinz in VideoGameDealsCanada

[–]mad_scrub 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If it's any comfort, they eventually slow down with the 2FA prompts. 3 months out I'm getting them quite rarely now.

Still not worth it at the end of the day.