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📰 News and Opinion
Coding Is When We’re Least Productive
If productivity, in reality, is a measure of how much net value we create, then that learning feedback loop is where the real productivity happens, and not at our desks punching keys.
This post talks about coding, but in my experience is also very true for system administration. The more you understand about the environment the devices (and people) you manage are put to work in, the better you will be able to address and anticipate problems.
If Apple is richer than ever, why does it feel so broke?
the way to avoid having to deal with the fallout of bad situations is to not get into them.
See also Micheal Tsai: The Fallen Apple
OpenClaw is amazing and you probably shouldn't run it
The question isn’t whether OpenClaw is interesting. It is. The question is whether we’re ready to run systems like this safely. Whether we have the infrastructure, the tooling, the security models, the user education.
How AI assistance impacts the formation of coding skills
Ultimately, to accommodate skill development in the presence of AI, we need a more expansive view of the impacts of AI on workers. In an AI-augmented workplace, productivity gains matter, but so does the long-term development of the expertise those gains depend on.
⚙️ Apple Updates
Another slew of minor updates for fairly old versions of Apple operating systems, most of them stating:
This update extends the certification required by features such as iMessage, FaceTime, and device activation to continue working after January 2027.
That or the standard "important bug fixes."
- macOS: Catalina Security Update 2026-001 (10.15.8), Big Sur 11.7.11
- watchOS: 6.3.1, 9.6.4, 10.6.2, 11.6.1
- iOS 16.7.14
- iPadOS 16.7.14
The best place to get an overview of Apple updates (aside from here) is their Security Releases support page. Sadly they do not link to the update pages, even when there are no security entries.
🔨 Support and Tutorials
Apple silicon Macs have 2 types of Thunderbolt ports
One of them is the DFU port, and works differently.
Deploying software update declarations for automatic minor OS updates using Blueprints in Jamf Pro
now there is an option for updating the OS version to the latest minor version of the OS that the Mac is currently running.
🤖 Scripting and Automation
Revision of PrinterGenerator for Munki
on the MacAdmins Slack there’s been some interest in a script to generate printer nopkgs, so I’ve forked Nick’s script and revised it to still use Python to generate the nopkgs but to have the nopkgs’ scripts […] use zsh instead of Python.
'Unsign Profile' - A Small, Stumbling Step into the World of Shortcuts
I wanted something more efficient; ideally, just right-clicking on the downloaded file and clicking “Unsign”.
♻️ Updates and Releases
🎧 Listen
pseudo and super in 2026
Kevin White is here with a bucket of spackle and some know how to make Platform Single Sign On a better experience.
Somewhere Between SOS and Success
In this episode of Command Control Power, Sam and Joe discuss their recent experiences managing client tech issues, including dealing with email outages linked to service cancellations and signature management services.
The reality of macOS malware in the enterprise
Jaron Bradley from Jamf joins the show to talk about macOS malware and what IT teams need to know in 2026.
🎈Just for Fun
How to shoot a screen using a board of keys
But: why do the shortcuts start with 3? After all, ⌘⇧1 and ⌘⇧2 don’t seem to do anything.