Easy macOS and iOS Tips and Fixes
Kept is a local-first tool that archives AI chat conversations from multiple LLM providers as plain markdown files stored on your filesystem, enabling full-text search, semantic recall, and integration with tools like Obsidian. It supports manual and automatic capture, offers a knowledge graph and topic clustering, and includes a MCP server for integration with other clients, while maintaining user data privacy by default without any cloud dependency.
Nick Heer shares his experience resolving issues with iCloud Photos, highlighting two main problems: difficulty extracting images from iCloud and the necessity of long-term third-party storage commitments. He found relief using two Mac applications, Parachute Backup for creating local copies of his iCloud library and PowerPhotos for managing and archiving photos, which together provide better control over his photo collection despite ongoing challenges with iCloud’s transparency and data verification.
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Time Machine backups can fail without user knowledge, illustrating the dangers of “set it and forget it.” A user experienced this with an external SSD becoming inaccessible due to new security software. Time Machine continued to operate without backups for hours without warning. Unlike other backup tools, Time Machine does not clearly alert users to errors, highlighting the need for regular monitoring of backup status.
https://eclecticlight.co/2026/01/15/how-time-machine-backups-can-fail-silently/
TLDR: Apple broke Time Machine backups on Tahoe machines using Synology NAS due to unexpected SMB settings changes. The issue was discovered after two months of silent failures. Possible fixes involve editing the nsmb.conf file on macOS and adjusting Synology SMB settings. The author plans to switch to a Docker-based Time Machine solution for better control and addresses other Apple-related frustrations.
Apple's Time Capsule, a blend of router and NAS launched in 2008, was discontinued in 2018 and will lose support with macOS 27's release. Many users need a replacement for its simplicity. Options include adding drives to a Mac, using a NAS compatible with Time Machine, or opting for third-party backup tools. While Time Capsule had its benefits, users now seek alternatives like SSDs or NAS devices for ease and reliability, though no direct successor exists.
https://sixcolors.com/post/2026/01/apple-is-burying-the-time-capsule-but-how-to-replace-it/