Total Mikah (Audio)

Fed up with groggy wake-ups and noisy notifications? Discover how automating Focus modes and Shortcuts can totally transform your nights and mornings using clever iOS tricks.

• Built-in sleep tracking features on iOS and Apple Watch explained
• Setting sleep goals, schedules, and using Sleep Focus mode
• How to customize Focus modes for a better sleep environment
• Allowing exceptions and adjusting notifications during Sleep Focus
...

Stop fumbling with serial numbers, plant names, or care tags. Discover quick, practical tricks to turn your iPhone's camera into a powerhouse for instant web answers and hassle-free text capture.

• Enabling Live Text and checking device and language compatibility
• Using Live Text in Photos, Camera, and Notes for text selection
• Tips for extracting phone numbers, emails, and addresses with Live Text
• Scanning serial numbers and c...

On this episode of Hands-On Tech, Mikah answers a listener's question about whether safely ejecting a USB flash drive is still necessary or just an outdated habit.

Send in your questions for Mikah to hot@twit.tv, and he'll answer them in a future episode!

Host: Mikah Sargent

Download or subscribe to Hands-On Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech

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Dan Moren of Six Colors joins the show. A newly disclosed flaw was discovered in Apple's iCloud Private Relay. What is the phenomenon, "spiralism," and its ties to AI chatbots? Apple's Siri AI finally makes its way into the iOS 27 beta. And a SpaceX rocket impacted the Moon, but is it as big a deal as the headlines are making it?

• Apple's iCloud Private Relay has a newly disclosed flaw that can leak users' real IP addresses via...

If you have kids using iPhones, Screen Distance might already be enforcing healthy habits without you knowing it. Find out how iOS screen features, like Bold Text and True Tone, are shaping digital wellness for your eyes and your family.

• Setting up and using Screen Distance on Face ID devices
• Night Shift: color temperature adjustments and sleep science skepticism
• True Tone vs. Night Shift: real-time white balance adaptation
...

From tide tracking that saves your beach day to instant wildfire warnings that beat government alerts, this episode spotlights the apps that truly have your back during summertime outings.

• Using iOS Photos app for editing, sharing, and managing albums
• Editing summer videos in Photos and iMovie, including Magic Movie feature
• Watch Duty Wildfire and Floods app for live fire and emergency alerts
• Sky Guide app brings AR starga...

Apple's Q3 2026 results are in, with the company's total revenue up by 16% from the year-ago quarter! Apple's Rosetta software tool is further nearing its end-of-life. And OpenAI rebuts Apple's trade secrets allegations.

• Apple announces record Q3 results.
• Apple stock opens down roughly 10% following mixed Q3 2026 results.
• Siri AI could come with a paywall for power users.
• First Apple Silicon-native CrossOver build in testin...

In this episode of Hands-On Tech, Mikah answers a listener's question about whether his phone's battery percentage is an accurate measurement, why it seems to stay at 100% for a long time before suddenly dropping to dead, and whether battery recalibration is a real fix.

Send in your questions for Mikah to answer, and any products you'd like Mikah to take a look at, to hot@twit.tv!

Host: Mikah Sargent

Download or subscribe to Han...

Jacob Ward from The Rip Current joins the show this week! Looking into the fallout from an OpenAI model breaching Hugging Face. Winamp returns with a Deezer-powered streaming relaunch. Breaking down the math behind Apple's new leasing program. And shared Claude chats are turning up in Google search results.

• Last week, an OpenAI Model autonomously hacked into Hugging Face while performing a cybersecurity task. Jacob breaks down...

Apple just replaced its iPhone Upgrade Program with a device leasing model run by Klarna, and you might end up paying more for devices you never actually own. Find out what happens when your monthly payments end in this episode covering Apple Upgrade!

• Apple launches Apple Upgrade device lease, replacing iPhone Upgrade Program
• Klarna partnership explained: application, credit check, and payment limitations
• Lease requirements:...

If you care about leveling up your reading life, don't miss this deep dive into the most powerful and lesser-known iOS apps that turn your device into a book-lover's playground. Discover why your iPhone might just be the ultimate reading companion, from audiobooks to custom libraries and beyond.

• Apple Books app features, usability, audiobooks, and reading goals
• Refining ebook library organization, user guides, and personal re...

On this episode of Hands-On Tech, Mikah settles a household debate about whether it's harmful to keep a laptop plugged in all the time, and whether battery charge limit settings are worth using.

Send in your questions for Mikah to hot@twit.tv, and he'll answer them in a future episode!

Host: Mikah Sargent

Download or subscribe to Hands-On Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech

Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts!
Supp...

Amanda Silberling of TechCrunch joins the show this week! AI isn't taking your job, per a report from Google. Gen Z is gravitating towards more "dumb" and simpler tech. An OpenAI model hacked Hugging Face. And Americans are uniting against data centers.

• A new Google report analyzing 14.6 million AI conversations finds most workplace AI use is "shallow," with automation rare and collaboration more common.
• Amanda shares her rep...

iOS 26 conveniently puts you in charge of your iPhone home screen with deep design tools hidden behind a single long press. Discover how Apple's new Liquid Glass and tinted themes finally let your wallpaper and icons reflect your style.

• Jiggle mode and edit tools enable deep icon appearance tweaks
• Exploring Light, Dark, Clear, and Tinted home screen styles
• Using tints and saturation sliders for unique color coordination
• Rea...

If you thought calculators were stuck in high school, check your phone! This episode finds the formula behind conversions, math notes, and custom shortcuts that could totally change how you crunch numbers on your everyday Apple device. Mikah Sargent and Rosemary Orchard run the numbers and reveal which apps truly multiply your productivity.

• iOS calculator app features: history, copy, mode switcher, and conversions
• Math Notes ...

In this episode of Hands-On Tech, Mikah answers Denise's question about whether her smart TV is tracking what she watches and how to stop it.

Send in your questions for Mikah to hot@twit.tv, and he'll answer them in a future episode!

Host: Mikah Sargent

Download or subscribe to Hands-On Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech

Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts!
Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video fee...

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy of The Verge joins the show this week! Is Google's AI Search failing kids? OpenAI could be releasing its first device: a proactive AI-smart speaker. OnePlus is exiting the US & European market. And Microsoft's Comic Chat is now open source.

• Common Sense Media finds Google's AI Overviews and AI Mode miss warning signs like suicidal ideation and validate disordered eating, especially concerning.
• Bloo...

Ready to install the iOS 27 public beta? Skip common mistakes and learn Mikah's straightforward method for filing some reports that may actually get results.

• Back up devices and expectations for public beta testers
• Step-by-step guide to enrolling in Apple's public beta program
• Understanding your role and responsibilities as a beta tester
• The importance of submitting clear, actionable feedback to Apple
• How to use the Feedba...

If you're the person who packs weeks early and triple-checks every detail, this episode is your tactical guide to using iPhone apps for travel planning, collaboration, and on-the-ground navigation.

• Vacation planning tips and why offline maps are essential
• Downloading and managing offline Apple Maps for travel
• Using shared Apple Notes and Reminders for trip organization
• Comparing Notes, Reminders, and Freeform for vacation p...