On the Mac, nearly every file has an extension, a set of characters after a period that indicates what type of file it is and determines which app opens it. So, .png indicates a PNG graphic that opens in Preview by default, .pages denotes a Pages document, and .docx identifies a file as belonging to and opening in Microsoft Word. Plus, the extension for all applications is .app. Depending on what you do, how often you exchange files with people on other platforms, and your personal preference, you may wish to see more or fewer extensions. You control that in Finder > Preferences > Advanced, with the “Show all filename extensions” checkbox. Individual files can override the setting, so if an extension isn’t doing what you want, select the file, choose File > Get Info, and check or uncheck the Hide Extension checkbox in the Info window.
AI Usage Transparency Report
Pre-AI Era · Written before widespread use of generative AI tools
AI Signal Composition
Score: 0.04 · Low AI Influence
Summary
A brief summary of the content.
Related Posts
Jamf Was My Mac Evidence Layer for CMMC
How Jamf Compliance helped support the Mac portion of a CMMC assessment, and why I added a small read-only CSV summary script for auditor-ready failed-result evidence.
How a Floppy Disk Turned My PowerBook 145 Around
A replacement adapter finally brought my PowerBook 145 back to life, but the storage bay had a stranger problem than I first thought: the drive inside was an IDE drive, not the SCSI storage this machine needs. The surprise was that 6 MB of RAM made a System 7.1 RAM Disk boot possible while I wait on a replacement cable and BlueSCSI.
What I Check Before I Trust a Homebrew Formula or Cask
Homebrew gives Mac admins a useful first-pass inspection workflow before trusting a formula or cask: check the source, checksum, version, tap state, availability, and upstream maintenance story.
When a Local AI Tool Belongs in My Workflow and When It Stays in the Lab
Running AI locally on a Mac has become a real part of my workflow, but only once I stopped treating local models like general-purpose answers and started treating them like constrained components inside a system I can still inspect.
Apple’s WWDC26 AI Story Is About Control, Not Just Models
Apple’s WWDC26 special presentation on Apple Intelligence and Xcode was less about adding a chat box to developer tools and more about making AI part of the platform boundary. Xcode agents, App Intents, Foundation Models, Core AI, and MLX all point toward the same idea: intelligent features need context, permissions, testing, and clear ownership before they belong in production software.
What a Dead PowerBook 145 Still Told Me
I picked up a clean PowerBook 145 knowing it might be a gamble. What I found was a machine that looked promising on the outside, demanded the correct 7.5V power approach, revealed a torn hard drive ribbon cable inside, and still refused to chime. That first teardown ended up being less about a successful revival and more about the reality of vintage Apple restoration.
The CMMC Evidence Collection Guide I Wish I Had Before My Assessment
When I started preparing for a CMMC assessment, I expected to spend most of my time focused on policies, procedures, and the System Security Plan. Those things are certainly important, but what surprised me was how much of the assessment ultimately came down to evidence.
WWDC 2026 Was Bigger Than The Keynote
Most of those conversations eventually landed in the same place. Siri wasn't ready. Liquid Glass was everywhere. There was no new hardware announcement. Depending on who you asked, WWDC 2026 was either disappointing or forgettable.
ABM Warranty 0.5.1
ABM Warranty 0.5.1 adds outbound connection workflows for JAMF and OAuth-based APIs, an expanded device detail view, outbound job tracking, and guide updates for connection setup and sync review.
How We Passed Our CMMC Assessment
After helping lead our organization through a successful CMMC Level 2 assessment, I share lessons learned from years of preparation, audit readiness, evidence collection, and working through the certification process.
