by Mike | Apr 27, 2025 | Macstock IX, Macstock News
It turns out that diagnosing why your car won’t start is very much like troubleshooting your Mac.
How do I know? We’ve been down a vehicle in the Potter household for just over a week now as I struggled to figure out where things were going wrong between the time I turned the key and the moment I heard nothing but a loud (and scary) single click coming from somewhere deep within the recesses of my engine compartment.
Dammit Jim! I’m a tech guy, not an auto mechanic!
And, yet, the desire to avoid a tow charge, let alone the cost of diagnosing and repairing what could be a minor problem (or, admittedly, a major one), was strong within me. (Hey, two paragraphs, two nerd references!)
There were things that I knew I could attempt on my own, and those things were high on my list of “stuff to try” before cracking open my wallet at the service center: Battery? Starter solenoid? A simple fuse? How about a new grounding wire? I know what a bad starter sounds like, but I couldn’t rule it out…yet.
Those were all suggestions made by others that I’d uncovered in my investigations into the car’s “Click of Doom”.
As I turned to the online forums of owners who’d experienced similar symptoms (anyone else remember the pre-Internet Chilton repair manuals?), I realized there’s a ton of knowledge out there just waiting to be tapped … by me … when my car decided that it wouldn’t start.
Just like Macstock!
The depth of knowledge found within the walls of Macstock Weekend each year seems endless! I may organize the weekend, but I walk away each year with tons of new skills, ideas, and simple tips & tricks, and often find myself wondering how I got along without them.
And this year will be the biggest Macstock yet, because Macstock 9 is three days of awesome talks, super useful workshops, and a chance to hang out with some of the nicest (and knowledgeable) Apple fanatics on the planet WHILE taking in some amazing talks from the likes of Brittany Smith, Kelly Guimont, Doc Rock, Mike Schmitz, Kirschen Seah, Dave Ginsburg, Allison Sheridan, Brett Terpstra, Jeff Gamet, Marty & Will Jencius, Jill McKinley, Brian Flanigan-Arthurs PLUS two new voices to Macstock’s stage in 2025, Chris Cooke and Mike Burke (just to name them all 😎) — all of whom you can learn more about on the Macstock website right now!
In case you were wondering, my car repair story above does have a successful ending. As of this morning (literally, Sunday, April 27th), my car happily started once again. Turns out that despite my best diagnostic attempts to eliminate it (and when it comes to cars, my skills aren’t quite where they are with operating systems), it WAS the battery after all! I suppose it was a bad cell within the battery and I simply didn’t have the right tools to figure that out.
Macstock gives you the tools you need to be a better Mac user. (iPhone, iPad, and other Apple gear too!)
So while you’re reading up on this year’s presenters, be sure to also check out this year’s schedule for some fantastic sessions covering anything and everything Apple like getting the most from Photos, Apple’s new AI features, tech tools for Travel, Apple Health features, Accessibility, creating Shortcuts to boost your productivity, and even security focused talks like staying safe online, and those new Passkeys you’ve been hearing about (but maybe aren’t using yet)!
And that’s just scratching the surface of what will almost certainly be the best Macstock yet.
See you at Macstock 9!
by Mike | Mar 29, 2025 | Macstock IX, Macstock News
Just a reminder that the Early Bird Sale pricing of $50 OFF the 3-Day Weekend Pass ends at midnight on March 29th (Central Time)!
Macstock Weekend is going to be packed!
At the moment, we’ve got FIVE 90-minute workshops and up to Twelve 45-minute sessions, all within a single track, and all from presenters eager to SHARE ways for you to get the most of your Apple hardware and expand your knowledge with new tools and techniques that you can put to practical use right away.
Macstock isn’t just about the talks, though, it’s also about the people and the experience that comes from simply being around and connecting with so many folks just like you, all wanting to SHARE advice, tips, and have in-depth conversations that propel you forward, ignite new ideas, and build personal connections that will last long after the weekend ends.
I also promised a sneak peek at who’ll be presenting! Just a few of the speakers taking the stage in July that I can share with you today include Brett Terpstra, Kirschen Seah, Brian Flanigan-Arthurs, and Allison Sheridan! More are on the way and I’ll share them with you in the weeks ahead too.
One Final Reminder: If you’re not already signed up to join us this July 11, 12, & 13 for Macstock 9 you can still Save $50 on your Weekend Pass by visiting our Register page by the end of day, Saturday, March 29th, 2025, and purchase your ticket by 11:59PM Central Time.
by Mike | Mar 19, 2025 | Macstock IX, Macstock News
Spring has been teasing us here at Macstock HQ, but spring in Northern Illinois never arrives without a fight. This past week we’ve hit highs in the 70s followed by over an 1″ of snow and lows in the 20s. All…in…the…same…week. Rest assured, by the time Macstock gets here in Summer … well, at least I can promise we won’t have any snow. But that’s about as far as I’ll go with my predictions.
Speaking of Macstock, did you get your Weekend Pass to Macstock yet? If not, don’t miss your chance to save during Macstock 9’s Early Bird Sale!
If you would like to join in the fun and community spirit of Macstock, then don’t miss your chance to pick up your Macstock 3-Day Weekend Pass during our Early Bird Sale that’s running the entire month of March and save yourself $50 OFF the regular price!
Don’t wait too long though, because the Early Bird sale only runs through March 29th, so if you’re planning to join us this July, be sure to get your tickets today!
by Mike | Mar 19, 2025 | Macstock IX, Macstock News, Road to Macstock
This is an exciting week because our friend Chuck Joiner has kicked off his annual Road to Macstock series on MacVoices!
Every year Chuck sits down with all those who put so much time and effort into making Macstock Weekend a fantastic time for all and that list includes Macstock’s presenters, volunteers, sponsors, and, yeah, even me. 😄
Chuck does such a great job with The Road to Macstock each year and if you don’t follow his podcast already, please visit MacVoices.com, subscribe to his MacVoices Dispatch Newsletter, or click to get the latest on his YouTube channel because the best installments are still to come as Chuck introduces you to old friends and new that he’s meeting all along the Road to Macstock!
by Mike | Mar 17, 2025 | Macstock IX, Macstock News
I’m thrilled to announce that Ecamm will be back and partnering with Macstock again this summer at Macstock IX!
Showcasing their flagship product, Ecamm Live, our friends at Ecamm will be at Macstock all weekend long showing off the latest ways to live stream, record, and present! Whether you’re just starting out or are an experienced presenter or streamer, you’ll be able to join Ecamm in their dedicated Demo Room throughout the weekend to experience, hands-on, the latest updates to Ecamm Live, learn new ways to improve your presence on Zoom, YouTube, Twitch, or … even the classroom or office! Heck, you can even pick their brains with your questions about cameras & microphone technology too.
Did I mention they’ll be giving a special 90 minute workshop too? Stay tuned for more details as we get closer!
I’m a long-time Ecamm Live user myself — going back at least 8 years now. Since it’s made for the Mac (and only the Mac), it’s easy to pick up and works exactly as you’d expect a Mac app to work. Even if you’ve never clicked “go live” before, you may be surprised at the flexibility built directly into Ecamm Live. Not only do I use it to produce my audio show (yes, audio show!), but many of you already know that since Macstock 7, all the video production for Macstock Weekend, including the Digital Pass, is produced with Ecamm Live. As an added bonus, I no longer need a stand-alone Zoom client installed on my Mac because that’s also now built into Ecamm Live.
Ecamm has a fantastic community of supportive users making them a perfect fit for Macstock and our own amazing family of Mac users. If you’d like to learn more about Ecamm and Ecamm Live or download the demo prior to Macstock, please visit https://ecamm.com/
by Mike | Mar 2, 2025 | Macstock IX, Macstock News
Early Bird Sale Begins!
Our SUPER Early Bird sale may have ended yesterday, but that doesn’t mean the discounts will stop, because Macstock 9’s Early Bird Sale begins TODAY!
That’s right, Macstock’s 3-Day Weekend Pass is having an Early Bird Sale during the month of March! If you would like to join in the fun and community spirit of Macstock, then pick up your Macstock 3-Day Weekend Pass during our Early Bird Sale for $50 OFF the regular price!
Our Early Bird sale only runs through March 29th, so if you’re planning to join us this July, be sure to get your tickets today!
When you attend Macstock this year, you’ll hear community-leading experts SHARE Three Days of engaging, productivity-enhancing Presentations and Workshops empowering you to expand your knowledge and skillset with new tools that can be put to immediate use in your professional or personal life.
Macstock’s Theme for 2025 will be “Share!” and your 3-Day Weekend Pass is scheduled to include:
- All Featured Sessions & Workshops
- Lunch Provided (all three days, Fri-Sun)
- Commemorative Macstock IX T-shirt!
- Free Digital Pass Included: On-demand Recordings of All Sessions (avail. post-Macstock)!
- Access to any of Macstock’s Official Evening Activities (Subject to Change)
- Bonus Swag!
- And…more. There’s always more!
Macstock IX will take place July 11, 12 & 13, 2025 at the Elara Convention Center in the Holiday Inn Crystal Lake.
An Update on the Hotel Block
The hotel block has been going fast! I’ll be working with the hotel to expand the block, so if you’re not seeing room availability or not seeing the type of room you’d like, please know that I’ll have an update on this shortly!
Announcements will be made via the Newsletter, but if you would like a quick email to let you know when more rooms are available, please Contact Me!
Our SUPER Early Bird sale may have ended yesterday, but that doesn’t mean the discounts will stop, because Macstock 9’s