What Have Brown Outs Done For You? Get a UPS – Mac Geek Gab 681

When the power flickers, are your electronics protected? That’s the first order of business. Then it’s on to some Cool Stuff Found before digging in to prepping for iPhone X, including what to do about AppleCare … and AppleCare+. VPNs, Battery life, and Certificates round out the episode for you. Press play, enjoy, and learn at least four new things!

TMO Background Mode Interview with GraphicConverter Creator Thorsten Lemke

Thorsten Lemke is the founder of Lemke Software and the creator of the Mac app called GraphicConverter. This app is now used by over 1.5 million customers worldwide. I asked Thorsten about his early years when he was learning Pascal and BASIC on his Commodore C64 and later Atari ST. Thorsten wasn’t sure what he wanted to pursue in high school, but he knew it would be technical. Then, around 1992, with his new Mac, he had a need to convert photos and clipart between file formats. After a lot of file format research, the simple GraphicConverter app on Mac OS 7 was born as shareware. Little did Thorsten know at the time how this Mac app would grow into a major application today. Thorsten tells the amazing story of his career as an Apple developer.

Help Give This MeVideo Travel Video Tripod Life

I came across the most awesome travel tripod I’ve ever seen, hands down. Unfortunately, it’s a Kickstarter project only halfway to its goal with just 15 days left. The MeVideo travel video tripod, called the Globetrotter, is well-made and durable, and yet it’s lightweight and compact. It collapses down to 21.9 inches. Then it extends out to 65.7 inches. The fluid video head supports cameras as heavy as 8.8 pounds. It will not, however, support a smartphone without an adapter. This tripod is meant for heavier videography equipment, but a standard tripod smartphone adapter will work just fine with it. The Globetrotter weighs from six to 6.6 pounds, depending on whether you get carbon fiber or aluminum legs. This tripod provides improved pan, tilt, and counterbalance performance compared to its closest competitors. It also features dust and dirt resistant metal/rubber twist locks rather than plastic flip latches. The edging is brushed metal and all knobs are metal. A split center column is perfect for those low-to-the-ground shots. Yes, a review of the MeVideo Globetrotter video travel tripod is forthcoming.

Twist Plus World Charging Station: $31.99

Check out the Twist Plus World Charging Station. It can plug into any power outlet in the world, and it has four USB ports for charging multiple devices. It also has a MacBook adapter on the bottom you can slide your MacBook’s charging brick onto. It’s $31.99 through our deal. Update: Coupon code «SAVE15» will get you another 15% off this deal.