by Mike | Mar 12, 2020 | Macstock News
Are you still feeling the effects of the time change this past weekend? I sure am. But with Macstock’s 6th Anniversary coming up this summer, I’m thinking positively: I didn’t lose an hour early Sunday morning. With Leap Day just the week before, I gained 23!
So what did I do with those extra 23 hours? Well, I worked hard to finish up the Macstock 2020 website so I could finally announce that Macstock’s Early Bird Sale is officially underway!
And this is shaping up to be another great year for Macstock! Not only will this summer bring you our sixth year of talks by some incredibly talented presenters, but Macstock 2020 also marks six years of meeting up with old friends and making new ones. Six years of new experiences like the MyMac Game Show and the Macstock Short Film Fest. And six years of celebrating the Apple community that brings us all to Macstock each summer!
And if I may share a little teaser: there’s someone working hard on another celebration that will take place at Macstock this summer, but I’ve been sworn to secrecy on this one…at least for now. But it’s been 15 years in the making and I’m excited to bring it to Macstock’s stage on Saturday the 25th.
If you would like to join in the fun and community spirit of Macstock, then pick up your Macstock 2020 2-Day Weekend Pass during our Early Bird Sale for $70 off the regular price! But our Early Bird sale only lasts so long. If you’re planning to join us July 25 & 26, be sure to get your tickets and book your room today!
by Mike | Aug 18, 2019 | Macstock News
It’s hard to believe three weeks have passed since Macstock 2019! In the time since, I’ve been re-living the weekend again and again thanks to the wonderfully generous notes, emails, and tweets I’ve received from everyone who took part in Macstock’s 5th Anniversary Year!
Not to mention the amazing coverage Macstock’s received in podcasts, blogs, and social media in the days since we brought this year’s conference to a close. And, by the way, how great was it to close out this year’s Macstock with the touching tribute to Macstock Weekend put together on the fly — and in complete secrecy — by our good friend Kelly Guimont and screened to book-end the compilation of short films made by Macstock’s attendees for the inaugural Macstock Short Film Festival hosted by Wally Cherwinski.
And there will be more Macstock 2019 awesomeness to come in the weeks ahead! Because if you weren’t able to make it to Macstock in person this year, the special episode of Mac Power Users recorded live at Macstock is slated to hit the MPU feed some time in September as MPU #500! (Shh! We were all sworn to secrecy and unable to divulge the contents of the show — you’ll just need to subscribe to hear it!)
So now it’s time to re-live it all yourself! I’m already making progress posting this year’s talks to the Macstock 2019 Digital Pass page, with more presentations being released every few days, and I’m including links below to some of the post-Macstock coverage as well.
In the mean time, it may be 3 weeks since Macstock 2019 came to a close, but that means it’s only 49 weeks until Macstock 2020 which is coming our way July 25 & 26, 2020!
My how time flies! 🙂
Mike
by Mike | Aug 18, 2019 | Macstock News
If you purchased a 2-Day Weekend Pass to Macstock 2019 or the 2019 Digital Pass you have access to this year’s Digital Pass!
To access it, just log in to the Macstock Digital Pass page using the same account information used to purchase your ticket!
Once logged in, you’ll have access to all the videos published so far.
New Format for 2019!
When you log in to the 2019 Digital Pass page, you’ll notice right away that I’ve re-organized the Digital Pass videos into playlists, one for each day, and in a larger format making it a bit easier to watch on a mobile device.
This new format is used on both the Macstock 2019 and 2018 Digital Pass pages and will improve page loading speed as well as make the videos more accessible on mobile devices without requiring a switch to full-screen viewing — though that’s still an option.
Navigating each day’s videos is pretty straight forward. Either click/tap the disclosure triangle to get a list of videos featured within that day’s playlist or click/tap the forward and back arrows to quickly skip to the next or previous video in the playlist!
FAQ: What if I Don’t Know My Account Info?
If you’ve forgotten your password, simply visit the “Digital Pass” page and click “Forgot Your Password?“, enter your email address (most likely the one this newsletter was sent to), and information for resetting your password will be sent to you!
But, I’m Still Having Trouble!
Things happen. Usernames and passwords get lost. Or maybe you have multiple email addresses and don’t know which one you used to create an account!
So, if you’re still having trouble logging in, resetting a password, or think I may have missed creating an account for you, Don’t Panic! Just drop me a line to let me know what’s going on and I’ll get you taken care of!
FAQ: Why All the “Extra Bits” in the Presentation Videos?
When we debuted the Digital Pass for Macstock 2018, I made a conscious decision to present the Digital Pass content as if it were “live streamed” to the viewer and I’m continuing that for Macstock 2019’s Digital Pass. This means that not only will you get the presentations, but you’ll get the conversation and things that happen (in front of the cameras) in-between those talks!
Now, of course I understand that not everyone wants to see the setup or pre-talk conversations, so I’m including a little “jump ahead” message approximately 20 seconds into most videos to let you know where you can skip ahead to if you’d like to bypass those extra bits.
FAQ: Are There More Videos Coming?
There sure are! As of this writing, I’ve published all the 20 minute sessions from Saturday (July 27) as well as the MyMac Game Show from Saturday afternoon.
Still coming are the main stage Deeper Dive sessions from Saturday and all of Sunday’s sessions. Finally, after all the Main Stage sessions are published, I’ll move on to the breakout room Deeper Dive sessions from both Saturday and Sunday!
by Mike | Jun 22, 2019 | Macstock News
From the fantastic talks, to discovering new tips and tricks while chatting around the lunch table, to meeting up with great friends old and new, there’s nothing like being at Macstock in person! And we still have plenty of Weekend Passes available if you’d like to join us for Macstock 2019!
But if you REALLY wish you could make it to Macstock in person, but it’s just not going to work to attend for personal, professional, or other reasons, the Macstock Digital Pass is for you!
Available once again for 2019, the Digital Pass to Macstock is the best way to take part in Macstock Weekend if you can’t be there in person! The Digital Pass delivers video recordings of all morning sessions and all main stage Deeper Dive sessions to you after the weekend is over and all within just a few short weeks after Macstock ends! (plus maybe some exclusive bonuses we sprinkle in here and there) And you can watch it all from wherever your Mac or iPad takes you!
Like I said, it’s not quite the same as being there (and being at Macstock is pretty amazing), but it’s the next best thing to seeing all of this year’s wonderful speakers in person! If you’d like to learn more about Macstock 2019’s Digital Pass, check it out!
by Mike | Jun 22, 2019 | Macstock News
Macstock Swap is Back!
Designed as a place to help recycle your old, working, gear by delivering it into the hands of folks you know will treasure it as much as you once did, the Macstock Swap Trading Zone is a place for folks to drop off old Apple stuff and pick up new (to you) Apple stuff from others in trade!
Some examples of “stuff” might include: unwanted/unused hardware, software, or even your old Apple collectibles!
As you might expect, there will be a few simple rules we’ll ask everyone to follow:
- Hardware must be complete and in working condition
- iOS devices must have Find my iPhone disabled, signed out, and Erased
- Devices with cables should be neatly bound (no rat’s nests!)
- Software must run on a Mac and include all original discs & licenses
- iPhone/iPad cases or screen protectors must fit current model devices.
- Please: NO cables, NO speakers/headphones, NO Electronics Cases or bags (or similar)
- No money is to change hands
- No taking Guy’s podcasting equipment 🙂
- If any of your “stuff” is left over at the end of Macstock Weekend, we ask that you please take it home again to recycle responsibly.
Help give your old hardware the new home it deserves at Macstock 2019!
by Mike | Jun 22, 2019 | Macstock News
Five years ago today we gathered for the very first time at Macstock 2015…
…and 5 weeks from today we’ll be gathering once again for Macstock 2019 which is, without a doubt, one of the most exciting Macstock weekends ever!
Bringing together Apple fanatics just like you from over 8 countries around the globe, this year’s Macstock features two days of amazing talks by many of your favorite personalities from throughout the Apple community who will be sharing innovative new ways to accomplish tasks, save time, and express yourself creatively while getting the most from your Apple devices and apps.
But your 2-Day Weekend Pass brings you so much more than that, including:
> Tim & Guy’s MyMac Game Show brought to you exclusively by Macstock’s home town sponsor OWC!
> A recording of Mac Power Users episode 500 live from Macstock’s stage!
> 3 bonus sessions brought to you by Macstock’s Platinum Sponsor, OWC!
> The first ever Macstock Film Festival hosted by Wally Cherwinski!
> Looking to trade (or discover) “new” Apple hardware? Visit the Macstock Swap Trading Zone to see if you can find that Mac you’ve always wanted…like I did last year! >>>>>>
> Nerd Yoga sessions each morning to help you make it through two long days of Macstock!
> And don’t forget Barry’s Midwest Mac Mingle evening activities Saturday night including the return of Game Night!
There’s only ONE place you can find all that plus that fantastic community spirit that makes being an Apple user so special, and that’s at Macstock 2019!
See you there!
Mike
It’s hard to believe three weeks have passed since Macstock 2019! In the time since, I’ve been re-living the weekend again and again thanks to the wonderfully generous notes, emails, and tweets I’ve received from everyone who took part in Macstock’s 5th Anniversary Year!
From the fantastic talks, to discovering new tips and tricks while chatting around the lunch table, to meeting up with great friends old and new, there’s nothing like being at Macstock in person! And we 
Designed as a place to help recycle your old, working, gear by delivering it into the hands of folks you know will treasure it as much as you once did, the Macstock Swap Trading Zone is a place for folks to drop off old Apple stuff and pick up new (to you) Apple stuff from others in trade!
Five years ago today we gathered for the very first time at Macstock 2015…
> Looking to trade (or discover) “new” Apple hardware? Visit the Macstock Swap Trading Zone to see if you can find that Mac you’ve always wanted…like I did last year! >>>>>>