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Yesterday — 7 April 2025Main stream

Solutions to Saturday Mac riddles 302

By: hoakley
7 April 2025 at 16:00

I hope that you enjoyed Saturday’s Mac Riddles, episode 302. Here are my solutions to them.

1: Shortened characters into the most common extension, formerly ASCII.

Click for a solution

txt

Shortened characters (text, shortened) into the most common extension (it is), formerly ASCII (it used to be).

2: Medical practitioner at the end of word files until gaining a cross in 2002.

Click for a solution

doc

Medical practitioner (a doc) at the end of word files (the extension for Word native format) until gaining a cross in 2002 (progressively replaced by the newer docx from 2002 onwards).

3: At the end of real estate inventory, most commonly for Info and preferences.

Click for a solution

plist

At the end (a filename extension) of real estate (property) inventory (list), most commonly for Info (Info.plist in bundles) and preferences (also usually property lists).

The common factor

Click for a solution

They are common filename extensions.

I look forward to your putting alternative cases.

Before yesterdayMain stream

Saturday Mac riddles 302

By: hoakley
5 April 2025 at 16:00

Here are this weekend’s Mac riddles to entertain you through family time, shopping and recreation.

1: Shortened characters into the most common extension, formerly ASCII.

2: Medical practitioner at the end of word files until gaining a cross in 2002.

3: At the end of real estate inventory, most commonly for Info and preferences.

To help you cross-check your solutions, or confuse you further, there’s a common factor between them.

I’ll post my solutions first thing on Monday morning.

Please don’t post your solutions as comments here: it spoils it for others.

Solutions to Saturday Mac riddles 301

By: hoakley
31 March 2025 at 16:00

I hope that you enjoyed Saturday’s Mac Riddles, episode 301. Here are my solutions to them.

1: Roll pasted on the interior background.

Click for a solution

Wallpaper

Roll pasted on the interior (what wallpaper is) background (it sets the Desktop, and replaced Desktop & Screen Saver).

2: Secure partition for the idle display.

Click for a solution

Lock Screen

Secure (to lock) partition (a screen) for the idle display (it sets what is shown on the display when it’s idle).

3: Pastime bull’s-eye for the player.

Click for a solution

Game Center

Pastime (a game) bull’s-eye (a centre) for the player (it enables access to game features).

The common factor

Click for a solution

They were all introduced in macOS Ventura’s System Settings, but weren’t in System Preferences.

I look forward to your putting alternative cases.

Saturday Mac riddles 301

By: hoakley
29 March 2025 at 17:00

Here are this weekend’s Mac riddles to entertain you through family time, shopping and recreation.

1: Roll pasted on the interior background.

2: Secure partition for the idle display.

3: Pastime bull’s-eye for the player.

To help you cross-check your solutions, or confuse you further, there’s a common factor between them.

I’ll post my solutions first thing on Monday morning.

Please don’t post your solutions as comments here: it spoils it for others.

Solutions to Saturday Mac riddles 300

By: hoakley
24 March 2025 at 17:00

I hope that you enjoyed Saturday’s Mac Riddles, episode 300. Here are my solutions to them.

1: The first chips with six-packs celebrated Halloween.

Click for a solution

M3

The first chips (Apple silicon SoCs) with six-packs (the M3 family is the first to support six-core clusters) celebrated Halloween (they were announced at Apple’s ‘Scary Fast’ event on 30 October 2023).

2: First with FireWire and almost see-through in its two-tone case.

Click for a solution

Power Macintosh G3 (Blue and White)

First with FireWire (it was the first Mac to come standard with FireWire ports) and almost see-through in its two-tone case (it has a distinctive translucent blue and white case).

3: It brought Exposé, Fast User Switching and Xcode.

Click for a solution

Mac OS X 10.3 Panther

It brought Exposé, Fast User Switching and Xcode (all three were new features in 10.3, released on 24 October 2003).

The common factor

Click for a solution

The number 3; in binary 11, which looks like the number 2 in Roman numerals.

I look forward to your putting alternative cases.

Saturday Mac riddles 300

By: hoakley
22 March 2025 at 17:00

Here are this weekend’s Mac riddles to entertain you through family time, shopping and recreation.

1: The first chips with six-packs celebrated Halloween.

2: First with FireWire and almost see-through in its two-tone case.

3: It brought Exposé, Fast User Switching and Xcode.

To help you cross-check your solutions, or confuse you further, there’s a common factor between them. To celebrate this anniversary edition, that’s a number which can be expressed in a way that a Roman might read as being one less than it really is.

I’ll post my solutions first thing on Monday morning.

Please don’t post your solutions as comments here: it spoils it for others.

Solutions to Saturday Mac riddles 299

By: hoakley
17 March 2025 at 17:00

I hope that you enjoyed Saturday’s Mac Riddles, episode 299. Here are my solutions to them.

1: Lucida or obscura, it rests between lights and action.

Click for a solution

Camera

Lucida or obscura (they’re both types of cameras), it rests between lights and action (as in ‘lights, camera, action!’).

2: Robot production line controls other apps including system events.

Click for a solution

Automation

Robot production line (automation) controls other apps (what it does) including system events (one of the Automation categories).

3: Interconnected with the neighbourhood inside your router.

Click for a solution

Local Network

Interconnected (network) with the neighbourhood (local) inside your router (where it is).

The common factor

Click for a solution

They’re each protected by TCC in Sequoia’s Privacy & Security settings.

I look forward to your putting alternative cases.

Saturday Mac riddles 299

By: hoakley
15 March 2025 at 17:00

Here are this weekend’s Mac riddles to entertain you through family time, shopping and recreation.

1: Lucida or obscura, it rests between lights and action.

2: Robot production line controls other apps including system events.

3: Interconnected with the neighbourhood inside your router.

To help you cross-check your solutions, or confuse you further, there’s a common factor between them.

I’ll post my solutions first thing on Monday morning.

Please don’t post your solutions as comments here: it spoils it for others.

Solutions to Saturday Mac riddles 298

By: hoakley
10 March 2025 at 17:00

I hope that you enjoyed Saturday’s Mac Riddles, episode 298. Here are my solutions to them.

1: Causing to act with a tress of hair stops the thief from using your Mac.

Click for a solution

Activation Lock

Causing to act (activation) with a tress of hair (a lock of hair) stops the thief from using your Mac (what it does).

2: Twice 250 validates your account with two pieces of evidence.

Click for a solution

2FA

Twice (2) 250 (FA in hexadecimal) validates your account (authentication) with two pieces of evidence (what Two-factor authentication does).

3: Complete safety measures set in recovery.

Click for a solution

Full Security

Complete (full) safety measures (security) set in recovery (it’s set in Startup Security Utility in Recovery mode).

The common factor

Click for a solution

They’re all requirements for the Find My service.

I look forward to your putting alternative cases.

Saturday Mac riddles 298

By: hoakley
8 March 2025 at 17:00

Here are this weekend’s Mac riddles to entertain you through family time, shopping and recreation.

1: Causing to act with a tress of hair stops the thief from using your Mac.

2: Twice 250 validates your account with two pieces of evidence.

3: Complete safety measures set in recovery.

To help you cross-check your solutions, or confuse you further, there’s a common factor between them.

I’ll post my solutions first thing on Monday morning.

Please don’t post your solutions as comments here: it spoils it for others.

Solutions to Saturday Mac riddles 297

By: hoakley
3 March 2025 at 17:00

I hope that you enjoyed Saturday’s Mac Riddles, episode 297. Here are my solutions to them.

1: Can still spin a disc with five between two five-hundreds.

Click for a solution

DVD Player

Can still spin a disc (although now hidden away, it can still play DVDs) with five between two five-hundreds (Roman numeral V between D and D).

2: Joins overhead and face together in shared video.

Click for a solution

Desk View

Joins overhead and face together (it’s used to merge overhead desktop and face-on views) in shared video (for FaceTime in particular).

3: Railway inspector for the hound of Hades.

Click for a solution

Ticket Viewer

Railway inspector (who checks tickets by viewing them) for the hound of Hades (it’s used to check Kerberos tickets, named after the multi-headed dog that guards the underworld in classical myth).

The common factor

Click for a solution

They’re all apps now hidden away in /System/Library/CoreServices/Applications

I look forward to your putting alternative cases.

Saturday Mac riddles 297

By: hoakley
1 March 2025 at 17:00

Here are this weekend’s Mac riddles to entertain you through family time, shopping and recreation.

1: Can still spin a disc with five between two five-hundreds.

2: Joins overhead and face together in shared video.

3: Railway inspector for the hound of Hades.

To help you cross-check your solutions, or confuse you further, there’s a common factor between them.

I’ll post my solutions first thing on Monday morning.

Please don’t post your solutions as comments here: it spoils it for others.

Solutions to Saturday Mac riddles 296

By: hoakley
24 February 2025 at 17:00

I hope that you enjoyed Saturday’s Mac Riddles, episode 296. Here are my solutions to them.

1: No amateur volume has gone from Yonah to M4 Max.

Click for a solution

MacBook Pro

No amateur (pro) volume (a book) has gone from Yonah to M4 Max (the first MacBook Pro came with a ‘Yonah’ Intel Core Duo processor, and the latest can have an M4 Max).

2: Prophetic revelation is in favour of spatial computing.

Click for a solution

Apple Vision Pro

Prophetic revelation (a vision) is in favour of (pro) spatial computing (what it introduces).

3: The first desktop with Apple silicon took six months to release.

Click for a solution

iMac Pro

The first desktop with Apple silicon (when released, it was the first desktop Mac with a T2 chip, although earlier MacBook Pros had featured the T1 chip) took six months to release (announced at WWDC in June 2017, it didn’t ship until December).

The common factor

Click for a solution

Their names all include Pro.

I look forward to your putting alternative cases.

Saturday Mac riddles 296

By: hoakley
22 February 2025 at 17:00

Here are this weekend’s Mac riddles to entertain you through family time, shopping and recreation.

1: No amateur volume has gone from Yonah to M4 Max.

2: Prophetic revelation is in favour of spatial computing.

3: The first desktop with Apple silicon took six months to release.

To help you cross-check your solutions, or confuse you further, there’s a common factor between them.

I’ll post my solutions first thing on Monday morning.

Please don’t post your solutions as comments here: it spoils it for others.

Solutions to Saturday Mac riddles 295

By: hoakley
17 February 2025 at 17:00

I hope that you enjoyed Saturday’s Mac Riddles, episode 295. Here are my solutions to them.

1: Visible vapour after I sync with remote storage.

Click for a solution

iCloud

Visible vapour (cloud) after I (i-) sync with remote storage (what iCloud is and does).

2: From SoundJam it brought everything from lectures to tracks until broken up in 2019.

Click for a solution

iTunes

From SoundJam (it originated as a jukebox player of this name) it brought everything from lectures (in iTunes U to 2017) to tracks (music, of course) until broken up in 2019 (when its features were dispersed in successors including Music).

3: √-1 spider’s threads brought single-click sites until 1 came along.

Click for a solution

iWeb

√-1 (in maths, i) spider’s threads (a web) brought single-click sites (what it did) until 1 came along (it worked until iCloud came in 2012).

The common factor

Click for a solution

Their names all start with the letter i.

I look forward to your putting alternative cases.

Saturday Mac riddles 295

By: hoakley
15 February 2025 at 17:00

Here are this weekend’s Mac riddles to entertain you through family time, shopping and recreation.

1: Visible vapour after I sync with remote storage.

2: From SoundJam it brought everything from lectures to tracks until broken up in 2019.

3: √-1 spider’s threads brought single-click sites until 1 came along.

To help you cross-check your solutions, or confuse you further, there’s a common factor between them.

I’ll post my solutions first thing on Monday morning.

Please don’t post your solutions as comments here: it spoils it for others.

Solutions to Saturday Mac riddles 294

By: hoakley
10 February 2025 at 17:00

I hope that you enjoyed Saturday’s Mac Riddles, episode 294. Here are my solutions to them.

1: Cool colour with a liking for sugar for connecting keyboards and mice.

Click for a solution

Bluetooth

Cool colour (blue) with a liking for sugar (a sweet tooth) for connecting keyboards and mice (what it’s used for).

2: Although never inside a Mac, its laser can burn over 25 GB.

Click for a solution

Blu-ray

Although never inside a Mac (no Mac has been offered with an internal Blu-ray drive), its laser can burn over 25 GB (its blue laser can write 25 GB or more to each disc).

3: Hue of the first in 1998 that became five the following year, and is now seven.

Click for a solution

Bondi Blue

Hue of the first in 1998 (the colour of the first iMac released in 1998) that became five the following year (its 1999 successor came in five colours), and is now seven (Apple silicon iMacs come in seven colours).

The common factor

Click for a solution

They are all based on the colour blue.

I look forward to your putting alternative cases.

Saturday Mac riddles 294

By: hoakley
8 February 2025 at 17:00

Here are this weekend’s Mac riddles to entertain you through family time, shopping and recreation.

1: Cool colour with a liking for sugar for connecting keyboards and mice.

2: Although never inside a Mac, its laser can burn over 25 GB.

3: Hue of the first in 1998 that became five the following year, and is now seven.

To help you cross-check your solutions, or confuse you further, there’s a common factor between them.

I’ll post my solutions first thing on Monday morning.

Please don’t post your solutions as comments here: it spoils it for others.

Solutions to Saturday Mac riddles 293

By: hoakley
3 February 2025 at 17:00

I hope that you enjoyed Saturday’s Mac Riddles, episode 293. Here are my solutions to them.

1: 42, 3.14159, 0x2A, but not x.

Click for a solution

Numbers

42 (an integer number), 3.14159 (a floating-point number), 0x2A (a hexadecimal number), but not x (a symbol).

2: Forty has formulas to be pre-eminent against Apple’s digits.

Click for a solution

Excel

Forty (Roman numerals XL) has formulas (a feature of Excel) to be pre-eminent (to excel) against Apple’s digits (Numbers, its main competitor on macOS).

3: One of six in a cider press that died in 2007.

Click for a solution

AppleWorks

One of six (the spreadsheet module was one of six in AppleWorks) in a cider press (an apple works) that died in 2007 (when it was officially discontinued to make way for the iWork suite).

The common factor

Click for a solution

They are all spreadsheets that have run in macOS.

I look forward to your putting alternative cases.

Saturday Mac riddles 293

By: hoakley
1 February 2025 at 17:00

Here are this weekend’s Mac riddles to entertain you through family time, shopping and recreation.

1: 42, 3.14159, 0x2A, but not x.

2: Forty has formulas to be pre-eminent against Apple’s digits.

3: One of six in a cider press that died in 2007.

To help you cross-check your solutions, or confuse you further, there’s a common factor between them.

I’ll post my solutions first thing on Monday morning.

Please don’t post your solutions as comments here: it spoils it for others.

Solutions to Saturday Mac riddles 292

By: hoakley
27 January 2025 at 17:00

I hope that you enjoyed Saturday’s Mac Riddles, episode 292. Here are my solutions to them.

1: Paul’s creator of an errand boy now forty years old but dead for twenty-four of them.

Click for a solution

PageMaker

Paul’s (Paul Brainerd was the founder of Aldus Corporation, its developer) creator (a maker) of an errand boy (a page) now forty years old (released in July 1985) but dead for twenty-four of them (it was bought by competitor Adobe and killed in 2001, in favour of InDesign).

2: Drawing without aid came three years later, only to suffer the same fate.

Click for a solution

FreeHand

Drawing without aid (freehand) came three years later (it was released in 1988), only to suffer the same fate (although it escaped Adobe until 2005, it was then killed in favour of Illustrator).

3: Lovers’ quarrel over thousands of incompatible file formats from an Italian printer.

Click for a solution

TIFF

Lovers’ quarrel (a tiff) over thousands of incompatible file formats (a popular joke explanation of its name, which actually comes from Tag Image File Format) from an Italian printer (TIFF was originally developed by Aldus Corporation, which was named after the famous Italian printer Aldus Pius Manutius, c 1449/52-1515).

The common factor

Click for a solution

They were all products of Aldus Corporation, and played key roles in Desktop Publishing, a term probably originated by its founder Paul Brainerd.

I look forward to your putting alternative cases.

Saturday Mac riddles 292

By: hoakley
25 January 2025 at 17:00

Here are this weekend’s Mac riddles to entertain you through family time, shopping and recreation.

1: Paul’s creator of an errand boy now forty years old but dead for twenty-four of them.

2: Drawing without aid came three years later, only to suffer the same fate.

3: Lovers’ quarrel over thousands of incompatible file formats from an Italian printer.

To help you cross-check your solutions, or confuse you further, there’s a common factor between them.

I’ll post my solutions first thing on Monday morning.

Please don’t post your solutions as comments here: it spoils it for others.

Solutions to Saturday Mac riddles 291

By: hoakley
20 January 2025 at 17:00

I hope that you enjoyed Saturday’s Mac Riddles, episode 291. Here are my solutions to them.

1: Lead-free stylus for early pros would have been ideal for Acontius.

Click for a solution

Apple Pencil

Lead-free (although a ‘pencil’ it has no lead) stylus (what it is) for early pros (announced on 9 September 2015 with the first iPad Pro, and works with early Pro models) would have been ideal for Acontius (who wrote an oath to bind Cydippe in marriage, see this article).

2: Eleventh vertical granite wall first took 47 days to climb, now less than four hours.

Click for a solution

El Capitan

Eleventh (OS X 10.11, released 30 September 2015) vertical granite wall (named after this 1 km wall of rock in Yosemite) first took 47 days to climb, now less than four hours (it took Warren Harding 47 days to climb it first in 1958, but can now be climbed freestyle in under 4 hours).

3: Rootless, I came in 2015 and still won’t go without csrutil.

Click for a solution

SIP

Rootless (an alternative name for System Integrity Protection), I came in 2015 (introduced in El Capitan) and still won’t go without csrutil (the command tool used to disable SIP).

The common factor

Click for a solution

They were all introduced in 2015, the year that this blog also started.

I look forward to your putting alternative cases.

Saturday Mac riddles 291

By: hoakley
18 January 2025 at 17:00

Here are this weekend’s Mac riddles to entertain you through family time, shopping and recreation. This week they celebrate the tenth anniversary of the start of this blog, on 17 January 2015.

1: Lead-free stylus for early pros would have been ideal for Acontius.

2: Eleventh vertical granite wall first took 47 days to climb, now less than four hours.

3: Rootless, I came in 2015 and still won’t go without csrutil.

To help you cross-check your solutions, or confuse you further, there’s a common factor between them.

I’ll post my solutions first thing on Monday morning.

Please don’t post your solutions as comments here: it spoils it for others.

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